There aren’t as many guys on the hot seat this year as there were this time last year. Jimbo Fisher got canned as did Dino Babers and Tom Allen. Neal Brown, who entered last year on the hot seat, won nine games and has West Virginia looking like it has a shot to make the College Football Playoff if the Mountaineers can take another step forward and win the Big 12.
Advertisement Of course, there will be coaching shake-ups coming later this fall, but we’re also using this column as a benchmark for assistants who have a chance to make a big name for themselves by elevating their programs. Here are the 20 most intriguing assistant coaches for 2024. 1.
Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State OC This hire got Nittany Lions fans excited. Penn State’s offense struggled last season under former OC Mike Yurcich, ranking 75th in yards per play and 109th in pass plays of 20-plus yards. The latter became a key barometer of PSU’s shortcomings in its biggest games against Ohio State and Michigan.
The Nittany Lions didn’t complete a pass to a receiver longer than 19 yards in either game. Enter Kotelnicki, who had an explosive offense at Kansas despite a slate of injuries forcing him to play three quarterbacks. The Jayhawks still ranked 17th in the nation in plays of 20-plus yards and seventh in 40-plus-yard plays.
KU also ranked sixth in yards per play and ninth in yards per rush. In 2022, Kansas was sixth in the nation in yards per play. How Kotelnicki juices up the Penn State offense will be.