Chip Kelly returning to Big Ten as Northwestern OC after brief, turbulent NFL stint
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Chip Kelly returning to Big Ten as Northwestern OC after brief, turbulent NFL stint originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Chip Kelly is headed back to the Big Ten after a brief and turbulent return to the NFL.
According to On3's Pete Nakos, Northwestern is expected to hire Kelly as its next offensive coordinator, bringing one of the sport’s most recognizable offensive minds back to college football. Nakos reported Kelly drew interest from several programs, including Georgia Tech and North Carolina, before settling on Northwestern.
Kelly spent the 2024 season as offensive coordinator at Ohio State Buckeyes, helping guide the Buckeyes to a national championship. That one-year stint was enough to springboard him back to the NFL, where he was hired as offensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders. The reunion was short-lived. Kelly was fired in November amid a 2-9 start, ending his second NFL stop as an assistant.
Kelly remains best known for his head-coaching success in college. After rising through the ranks at New Hampshire and Oregon Ducks, he became Oregon’s head coach in 2009 and went 46-7 in four seasons, winning three conference titles, a Rose Bowl and reaching the BCS national championship game.
He later coached the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, compiling a 38-35 NFL record. Kelly returned to college in 2018 at UCLA Bruins, posting a 35-34 mark over six seasons before leaving for Ohio State.
Northwestern is coming off a 7-6 season and GameAbove Sports Bowl win under coach David Braun, but ranked 98th nationally in both total and scoring offense. Kelly will be tasked with jump-starting that unit as the Wildcats look to take another step forward in the Big Ten.
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