Chip Kelly was unable to find his feet after taking over as Northwestern's offensive coordinator on Tuesday, a month after The Las Vegas Raiders fired him..
He'll likely land on his butt, sitting in a comfortable chair overlooking Ryan Field, the Wildcats' shiny new $850 million stadium, while calling games for a program that ranked 98th in the FBS in total offense and 15th in the Big Ten in points per game this season.
That's what a consolation prize is. A year ago, Kelly was calling games for Ohio State, the most prolific offense in college football and the eventual national champion. He would still be there, once again pulling the strings for a potent College Football Playoff offense, if not for his decision to join the Raiders.
It was a real free fall. Las Vegas was 2-9 when Kelly was fired shortly after the lowly Cleveland Browns recorded 10 sacks in a 24-10 win over the Raiders on Nov. 23. Whatever play-calling magic Kelly displayed at Ohio State hasn't translated into the NFL, where he largely failed as a head coach in years past with the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Kelly, who honed his reputation as a man of few words during his mediocre tenure as UCLA's head coach from 2018-23, expressed no hard feelings toward the Raiders before leaving.
“Hey, we have to win,” he said. told the reporter. “I understand”.
Now he'll have the opportunity to rebuild his reputation at Northwestern, which went 7-6 this season, including a win over Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. Coach David Brown is clearly enamored with Kelly, who cemented his bona fide offensive genius by leading Oregon to a 46-7 record as head coach from 2009 to 2012.
“His innovative approach to offense using systems that focus on change of pace, efficiency and smart decision making, his experience developing defenders and his ability to maximize talent is exactly what our program needs at this time,” Brown said in a statement. “Make no mistake, this is a program-defining change that reflects our long-term commitment to championship aspirations.”
The only titles Northwestern can claim are a dozen academic achievement awards from the American Football Coaches Association. since 2002. After leaving Oregon, Kelly stumbled at every stop except for a single season at Ohio State, where he might still have called games had he not left for the lure of the NFL.
He expressed gratitude to be back in the Big Ten.
“I am honored to join the Northwestern football program,” Kelly said in a statement. “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 this opportunity.”
