Veteran college coach Chip Kelly has returned to the college ranks. With a college career that dates back to 1990, Kelly has spent the majority of the past three decades at a school, interspersed with three forays into the NFL. Now, after his latest stint in professional football, he walks back onto a campus, looking to change the fortunes of a program.
New Northwestern OC Chip Kelly’s Hire Lauded by HC Coach David Braun
A year ago, Kelly was the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes advance towards a national championship. After that season, he had a brief stop with the Las Vegas Raiders before returning to the Big Ten and college football. Now, David Braun, the Wildcats’ head coach, effusively praises his new coordinator.
“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,” he said.
“This is a program-defining change.” pic.twitter.com/uWAwfpoWwT
— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) December 30, 2025
Braun added, “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.”
The Wildcats claimed the No. 47 spot in PFSN’s College Football Offense Impact metric. For a team rarely seen as a threat in the Big Ten, that is an accomplishment. In two of Braun’s three seasons, they ended in bowl victories. With Kelly’s offense, that could be the recipe for success.
Traditionally, Northwestern is known for its slow offense, which lacks playmakers. For Kelly’s scheme to work, NU will need to add playmakers. He wants to wear down defenders by playing at a much faster pace and limiting the number of substitutions. He also prefers inside zone runs and a heavy dose of RPOs. Marcus Mariota once executed this offense to win a Heisman Trophy.
Kelly wants defenses to vacate the middle of the field, creating room for the run game. In recent years, he added the pistol to the scheme, introducing confusion and expanding options. The RPO frees up options on either side of the line, as does the vertical pass, based on defensive miscues.
Northwestern presents a challenge for Kelly. The program lacks depth at skill positions, so attacking this need may require time and significant portal involvement. Still, the Wildcats could slowly climb beyond being just a trap game for other teams.
