A new era of Northwestern offense has arrived, as longtime coaching great Chip Kelly is expected to join NU as the next offensive coordinator.

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A new era of Northwestern offense has arrived, as longtime coaching great Chip Kelly is expected to join NU as the next offensive coordinator.

This is a developing story.

When Northwestern football won the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Dec. 26, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported that the “offensive reset” was coming for the team. It appears as though that offensive reset is already underway.

On Tuesday, Northwestern made it official that it would hire Chip Kelly as its next offensive coordinator. He replaces Zach Lujan, the OC during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, whose contract expires after the 2025 season.

Kelly would be Northwestern’s third offensive coordinator in Evanston in the past four seasons, as Lujan replaced Mike Bajakian before the start of the 2024 season.

“I am honored to join the Northwestern Football program,” Kelly said in a Tuesday press release. “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. There is great momentum around the program, and the opening of the new Ryan Field reflects Northwestern’s commitment to excellence and innovation. It will be a major asset as we continue to move forward, and I am excited to get to Evanston.”

A veteran in the football coaching world, Kelly has experience across both the NFL and CFB. He was most recently the offensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders this past season before being let go, and had stints as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers. His college resume, however, extends much further.

During a five-year run with CFB powerhouse Oregon (2009-2012), Kelly won the 2010 AP College football Coach of the Year and helped the Ducks to four consecutive 10-plus win seasons. He would return to the college world in 2018 with UCLA, turning the Bruins’ program around and ending his tenure with three straight winning seasons. Finally, he moved on to become the offensive coordinator of Ohio State in 2024, helping lead the Buckeyes’ offense to a 14-2 record and what is considered one of the most dominant national championship runs in history.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, schools like Georgia Tech and North Carolina were also interested in Kelly before his hiring at Northwestern.

During the 2025 season, NU had one of the more lackluster offenses in the Big Ten, ranking 12th in total yards per game and 14th in points per game. It ranked 96th in the nation for total and scoring offense. In a Tuesday press release, Northwestern head coach David Braun said that Kelly’s “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” were “exactly” what the program needed at the moment.

Braun also called the hire a “program-defining change” that is “reflective of [its] long-term commitment to the pursuit of championships.”

It’s worth noting that Preston Stone, Northwestern’s starting quarterback for the 2025 season, is out of NCAA eligibility. As Braun and co. possibly turn toward the transfer portal for a replacement, this offensive overhaul could play a major factor.

With Northwestern’s season having wrapped up less than a week ago, athletic director Mark Jackson and Co. have already appeared to be revving up for a busy offseason in hopes of a much-improved 2026 campaign.

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