Northwestern Taps Former Raiders Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly For Wildcats

EVANSTON, IL — Former Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will be the offensive coordinator for the Northwestern University Wildcats.

Northwestern Athletics announced Kelly's hiring on Tuesday. Kelly is a two-time college and NFL head coach, leading teams at Oregon State and UCLA as well as the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I am honored to join the Northwestern Football program," said Kelly. "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."

Kelly also served as offensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2024, helping the team take home a national title that year. He left Ohio to join Pete Carroll's staff with the Las Vegas Raiders, but was fired after 11 games.

Kelly brings more than 35 years of experience as a coach to Northwestern's team.

"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Chip and his wife, Jill, to our university," said Head Football Coach David Braun. "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. I am extremely grateful for the ongoing partnership of our university, Mark Jackson and passionate supporters to make this addition happen. Make no mistake: this is a program-defining change and is reflective of our long-term commitment to the pursuit of championships."