Former Oregon and Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly was hired as Northwestern's offensive coordinator Tuesday.
The move follows Kelly's firing as offensive coordinator late last month after just 11 games from the Las Vegas Raiders. But he has experience overseeing explosive offenses, especially at the college level.
Kelly led Oregon to a 46-7 record and appeared in the national championship game from 2009 to 2012 before spending four years as an NFL head coach — three in Philadelphia and one in San Francisco. He returned to the college ranks as UCLA's coach from 2018-23, leading the Bruins to a 35-34 record. He was Ohio State's offensive coordinator last year under Ryan Day, helping the Buckeyes win a national championship.
“This program and university are clearly on the rise, and the values of the people and this place align with my own,” he said in a statement. “I'm grateful for the opportunity. There is tremendous potential under Coach Brown and I'm ready to contribute to this team.”
Kelly was the most prominent assistant hired by Pete Carroll in his first season as Las Vegas coach after 14 years at the helm of the Seattle Seahawks. He reportedly received a $6 million contract, the highest amount for an NFL offensive coordinator. But he never fulfilled the terms of the deal. At the time of his firing, the Las Vegas offense was one of the worst in the NFL.
Despite this, Northwestern coach David Brown called Kelly's hiring a “program-defining change” in a statement that “reflects our long-term commitment to championship aspirations.”
The Wildcats are 19-19 in three seasons under Brown. This year they went 7-6 and beat Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.
Northwestern is set to move into a new stadium next season after playing home games at a temporary lakeside stadium and Wrigley Field the past two years.
“This is a turning point for our program under the leadership of David Brown and another sign that we are committed to striving for the highest standards of excellence in everything we do,” athletic director Mark Jackson said in a statement.
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