How Kansas Football Rebuilt Its Program | Lance Leipold, Andy Kotelnicki & Jim Zebrowski | Ep.65

Kansas football has gone from one of the most difficult rebuilds in college football to one of the most compelling programs in the Big 12. In this special edition of The Left Hash Call, Seth Howard goes inside the Kansas football facility for an in-depth look at the current state of the Jayhawks program with head coach Lance Leipold, associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki, and quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator Jim Zebrowski. The conversation explores how Kansas established accountability, structure, discipline, and leadership; why the staff’s small-college roots still shape the way they teach and develop players; how the program approaches quarterback development and offensive identity; and what the new facilities and stadium investment mean for the future of Kansas football. Lance Leipold discusses the foundation of the rebuild, creating stability within the roster, and the standards that helped change the direction of the program. Andy Kotelnicki explains why he returned to Lawrence, how the staff builds its offensive identity, why preparation makes play-calling easier, and what separates a staff built around teaching and development. Jim Zebrowski breaks down quarterback development, self-evaluation, decision-making, coaching accountability, and why continuity remains one of the most important strengths inside the Kansas program. This is State of the Program: Kansas Football. Subscribe to The Left Hash Call for in-depth conversations with the coaches, players, and football minds shaping the game. Guests: Lance Leipold — Head Coach, Kansas Football Andy Kotelnicki — Associate Head Coach, Kansas Football Jim Zebrowski — Quarterbacks Coach and Passing-Game Coordinator, Kansas Football Timestamps: 00:00 Kansas Football: State of the Program 00:34 Andy Kotelnicki Returns to Lawrence 04:31 The Small-College Roots of Kansas’ Coaching Staff 05:31 Kotelnicki’s 12-Year Partnership with Lance Leipold 07:23 Why Bill Queiser Is Kotelnicki’s Right-Hand Man 09:18 How Kotelnicki Has Evolved as a Play Caller 12:06 Inside Kansas’ Weekly Game-Planning Process 15:05 Where Offensive Ideas Come From 17:24 The Filter for Adding New Plays 18:17 Kotelnicki’s Unconventional Recruiting Story 19:04 Watching UW–River Falls Become a Champion 20:44 Managing the Entire Kansas Offense 23:09 Andy Kotelnicki Quick Hits 29:33 Advice for the Next Generation of Coaches 32:21 Jim Zebrowski Joins the Show 33:21 Life After Jalon Daniels 34:19 How Kansas Develops Its Quarterbacks 35:36 The Current Kansas Quarterback Competition 36:28 Zebrowski’s Relationship with Lance Leipold 39:04 From Mount Union Baseball to College Football 40:55 Learning to Adapt from Larry Kehres 42:05 How Jerry Kill Changed Zebrowski’s Career 45:13 Zebrowski’s First Impression of Joe Matheson 49:45 Watching His Son’s Career at Central Missouri 53:55 Working Alongside Andy Kotelnicki 55:57 Jim Zebrowski Quick Hits 59:20 Advice for Young Coaches 1:01:43 Lance Leipold Joins the Show 1:02:44 Building Kansas’ New-Look Roster 1:04:02 Rebuilding Accountability, Structure and Discipline 1:07:01 Recruiting in the Modern College Football Landscape 1:08:54 Adapting to NIL, Revenue Sharing and the Portal 1:11:02 How Leipold Was Recruited to Wisconsin–Whitewater 1:12:32 Sustaining a Division III Dynasty 1:15:22 The Day UW–River Falls Nearly Beat Whitewater 1:17:00 Why Leipold Eventually Left Whitewater 1:20:17 Leipold’s First Impression of Grant Rohach 1:21:01 Rebuilding the Buffalo Football Program 1:23:33 How the Kansas Job Came Together 1:25:24 The Transformation of Kansas Football 1:29:49 Lance Leipold Quick Hits 1:32:53 Leipold’s Advice for the Next Generation #KansasFootball #KUFootball #CollegeFootball #Big12Football #LanceLeipold #AndyKotelnicki #TheLeftHashCall @thelefthashcall Twitter/X: https://x.com/thelefthashcall Instagram: /thelefthashcall Facebook: /thelefthashcall Tik Tok: /thelefthashcall #Coaching #CFB #LHC