Northwestern hires Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator
Kelly served in the same role for the Las Vegas Raiders this year, but he was fired on Nov. 23 after a 2-9 start. He was Ohio State's offensive coordinator last season.
It’s back to the college ranks for Chip Kelly. Northwestern announced the hiring of the 62-year-old former Eagles coach as offensive coordinator on Tuesday.
Kelly served in the same role for the Las Vegas Raiders this season, but he was fired on Nov. 23 after a 2-9 start. He has been a head coach with the Eagles (2013-15) and the San Francisco 49ers (2016). In the college game, he was head coach at Oregon (2009-12) and UCLA (2018-23).
He also was offensive coordinator at Ohio State last season as the Buckeyes captured the national championship.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Chip and his wife, Jill, to our university,” Wildcats head coach David Braun said. “His innovative approach to offense using systems that focus on varying tempo, efficiency and smart decision-making, his track record of developing quarterbacks, and his ability to maximize talent are exactly what our program needs at this moment. ...
“Make no mistake: this is a program-defining change and is reflective of our long-term commitment to the pursuit of championships.”
Kelly replaces Zach Lujan, the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator for two seasons. Northwestern went 7-6 this season, 4-5 in the Big Ten.
“I am honored to join the Northwestern Football program,” Kelly said. “This program and university are clearly on the rise, and the values of the people and this place align with my own. I am grateful for the opportunity. There is tremendous potential under Coach Braun’s leadership, and I’m ready to contribute to this team.”