Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki talks with head coach James Franklin during warm ups for an NCAA college football game against Villanova, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s future beyond this season seems to be as up in the air as the rest of the program at the moment.

To put it bluntly, the Lions’ offense has been mediocre as it sits in 97th place in total offense in FBS right now. Starting quarterback Drew Allar was lost for the season with injury, but he wasn’t lighting up the world when he was healthy. None of the transfer wide receivers have panned out like they hoped. The offensive line hasn’t been nearly as effective as last season, and running back Nicholas Singleton has had close to no production and has been relegated to backup duties behind Kaytron Allen.

All of that adds up to an uncertain future.

“The future is always uncertain,” Kotelnicki said Wednesday via Zoom. “We all know that. But when something like this happens, the uncertainty is magnified. “Whatever you want for your future as a player or coach, the best thing to do is be very present and do a good job with what you’re doing today.”

Kotelnicki reportedly turned down head coaching jobs last offseason to return to State College with the expectations of having a special season. The goals have fell short with PSU currently at 3-4 with Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State and Indiana coming up on the schedule, and head coach James Franklin now dismissed from the program.

But Kotelnicki says there are no distractions.

“It’s hard not to think about those types of things with the future and what it holds, but I love our guys and I have an obligation to do the best job I possibly can to help them achieve their goals,” Kotelnicki said.

There have been no talks about Kotelnicki giving up play-calling responsibilities, and PSU has to finish out the season with backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer running the show. Grunkemeyer made his first start in one of the more hostile environments in the Big Ten at Iowa, but showed being more than capable at times.

But a mystery that will linger for quite some time around PSU is what happened to the offense that held so much promise.

“I don’t know. The answer can be so long, but the reality is it hasn’t gone like we hoped,” Kotelnicki said. “What do you do? You go to the next play, the next game, the next opportunity. I don’t really have a good explanation where it was. I’m more focused on what it has to be next week.”