KU AD Goff on Kotelnicki’s departure for Penn State: ‘We left nothing on the table’

Coaching turnover is a constant in the chaotic world of college athletics.

The Kansas Jayhawks football team, off to a dismal 1-5 start, is no stranger to that reality. Three of head coach Lance Leipold’s assistant coaches bolted for other jobs before the start of the 2024 season.

The cumulative effects of those departures appear to linger for a shell-shocked team that has finally reached its bye week. The Jayhawks have lost five straight and are on the verge of being eliminated from bowl contention.

To recap the coaching-staff departures: Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki left for the same job at Penn State; offensive line coach Scott Fuchs joined the NFL’s Tennessee Titans; and defensive backs coach Jordan Peterson took a job with Texas A&M.

Amid one of the most disappointing seasons in program history, it’s easy to forget how much staff turnover KU experienced in such a short time frame.

The Star recently sat down with KU athletic director Travis Goff to talk about Leipold’s team — staff turnover included.

The Jayhawks replaced Peterson with D.K. McDonald, who came from the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. Early returns are mixed. KU’s secondary has struggled, allowing an average of 274 passing yards in its past three games.

The defense has also struggled mightily. Opponents have gained an average of 477 yards per game in KU’s last three. Among the topics Goff touched on was Peterson, who was highly regarding as a defensive assistant.

“Jordan Peterson went to school at Texas A&M; his wife went to school at Texas A&M — they met there,” Goff said. “That’s in the blood. That’s different. I came back home (for the KU job), so I know that as much as anybody.”

Fuchs was replaced as offensive line coach by Daryl Agpalsa. KU’s line has allowed seven sacks this season (1.17 per game). Last season, KU allowed 17 (1.23 per game).

“Scott Fuchs, I think he had been banging the drums, but it’s long been that Scott would like to coach in the NFL,” Goff said. “I mean, he’s coaching for the Tennessee Titans’ offensive line. Incredible coach.”

As the defeats mount, perhaps the most scrutinized change on Leipold’s staff this season is the ascension of Jeff Grimes to offensive coordinator. Grimes shares offensive coordinator duties with Jim Zebrowski.

Numerous metrics show KU’s offense has regressed this season. Naturally, that’s led to some heavy social-media scrutiny regarding the loss of Kotelnicki, and how much KU really did in its attempt to retain him.

“Andy Kotelnicki, we had so many countless incredible conversations,” Goff said. “I would just say this about that one: We left nothing on the table.

“If you had a chance to bump into Andy Kotelnicki, he’d tell you that Kansas did more than anyone would have pondered possible, to have continuity. We loved Andy and we love what he did, but at the end of the day, it was to maintain continuity.

Goff continued.

“Andy said, ‘I’ve had a longstanding love and passion for Penn State. I grew up as a Penn State football fan.’ Then he bet on himself, because if you can go and get a Penn State offense humming, you are going to position yourself really well in college football.”

Some have wondered whether Kotelnicki was offered a “head coach in waiting” clause in his contract as an incentive to stay — and if not, why not. Such arrangements typically appoint a particular assistant as next in line to become the team’s head coach, should the current coach leave.

Goff declined to answer that question, saying, “I think that’s living in the history books.”

He said there isn’t necessarily a pattern at work here, or one overarching explanation as to why three assistant coaches left KU this past offseason.

“I think it was three really unique isolated incidents,” he said. “Just like Lance does, you love all three of those guys. They went to the niche spot, in my estimation — the only one that could have taken them away from KU.”