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Northwestern makes a splash, hiring Chip Kelly to lead its offense
Northwestern is making a statement ahead of the opening of its new Ryan Field, hiring Chip Kelly to run the Wildcats’ offense.
EVANSTON, Ill. - Wednesday dawned a new day for Northwestern football.
Wildcats head coach David Braun introduced Chip Kelly as the team's new offensive coordinator. One of the most renowned offensive minds in college football is running the show for the NU offense.
It wasn't as simple as pursuing Kelly, though. Northwestern needed to position itself properly.
Northwestern and Braun did their job.
Here's what we learned from Chip Kelly's introduction as Northwestern's offensive coordinator.
When Northwestern had to sway Kelly, NU was convincing
Chip Kelly was candid.
He really doesn’t have many connections to Northwestern football. Sure, it’s easy to find a connection or two deep in the coaching fraternity. It’s not a direct connection to Kelly, though.
Northwestern needed to sway Kelly to join the ranks in Evanston. When it came time to convince him, coach David Braun and NU did.
"This was a situation I was excited about with a new stadium, an up-and-coming team," Kelly said.
Northwestern will debut a new Ryan Field in 2026. They’re coming off a 7-6 season with a bowl win, but NU was far from the only offensive coordinator opening in college football this offseason. There were plenty of higher-profile play-calling jobs.
Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly addresses the media during his introduction at the Walter Athletics Center on Feb. 4, 2026, in Evanston, Ill. (Chris Kwiecinski / FOX 32 Chicago)
Florida, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Penn State, Virginia Tech and more hired new head coaches. They needed offensive coordinators. Northwestern needed one after Zach Lujan wasn’t retained, and Kelly liked the impression Braun’s staff left on him.
"The coaching fraternity is really small, so it’s very easy to get Intel on anybody in terms of people that have worked for him," Kelly said. "Then just meeting him and getting a chance to have real good conversations about what their vision was for this program and kind of where they see it headed."
Kelly’s experience will serve multiple purposes
It’s easy to look at Kelly’s career and think about the impact it will have on Northwestern football. It’s also easy to think about the kind of lifeline Kelly will be for Braun, who will be in his fourth season as a head coach.
"I'm also excited about all the conversations Chip and I are having about program development," Braun said. "I'd be silly to sit up here and pretend like I have it all figured out as a head coach."
For all the experiences Braun has had at Northwestern, he’s still learning some of the ropes and learning how to build a program.
Kelly did so at Oregon as a head coach and has coordinated high-level offenses in the Big Ten.
"I have someone sitting to my left that has done it at an extremely high level in terms of coordinating offense, but also as a head coach," Braun said.
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But, his experience branches further.
Kelly’s most recent experience spans to the NFL. He was fired midseason by the Raiders in his first year in Las Vegas. The Raiders had a disastrous first season under Pete Carroll, and Carroll was fired after the season ended.
Kelly has experienced failure and success. There’s a way to learn from both. The best way to learn from that is from a coach that’s been on both ends of the spectrum.
"It's different now," Kelly said. "I think understanding the length of the season, things like that, or some experiences we have of how to practice and how to peak at the right time and how to make sure that when you get there, you're not limping to the finish line. That you've got some health and concerns that's obviously dependent on your depth, but I think some of those experiences will be applicable, hopefully sooner rather than later."
Kelly’s presence brought a notable offensive staff
When Kelly began at Northwestern, he immediately went on the road to recruit. He also recruited a handful of coaches to join his offensive staff.
One of those coaches was Jerry Neuheisel. Kelly and Braun made Neuheisel Northwestern’s quarterbacks coach.
It’s easy to see why NU wanted Neuheisel. He lifted UCLA’s offense from being one of the worst in the nation and immediately upset Penn State 42-37.
"That wasn't a surprise," Kelly said. "Myself and his dad I think were his two biggest fans."
Now in Evanston, Neuheisel highlights a new-look staff that Braun praises highly.
Northwestern has added Tim Drevno and Bob Bicknell as offensive line coach and tight ends coach, respectively, to its staff alongside Neuheisel.
These coaches will join retained coaches, like running backs coach Aristotle Thompson and wide receivers coach Armon Binns. Braun has overseen the colliding worlds between the retained coaches and new hires.
That’s what excites him.
"It's been fun for me to observe the collaboration and the relationships that are being formed on this entire staff," Braun said. "Especially on the offensive side of the ball, I would argue we got the best offensive staff in all of college football."
Northwestern football to debut new Ryan Field in October 2026 against Big Ten opponent
Northwestern football will officially debut its new home field this fall, but will still play two games in its temporary stadium on the lake.
This sets up a big year for Northwestern football
The ‘Cats have an experienced play caller. They have a head coach that’s re-tooled the roster with transfers and retained the right players. The team will debut Ryan Field in October.
It is now Braun’s job to make sure Northwestern doesn’t fall flat.
"I can't contain my excitement about that opportunity," Braun said about the Ryan Field debut. "It's our job over the course of the months of February, March, April, May, June, July and August to make sure that this football team is positioned to really bring our fan base and the new Ryan Field to life."
Combining the excitement surrounding the program with a new stadium, the recruits the program wants to develop into future starters and the acquisitions the team has made in the transfer portal, Northwestern has a chance to sustain success this season and in the years to come.
It starts with Braun. He has done great work lifting Northwestern out of the dark cloud surrounding the university with the football hazing scandal.
Now, Braun has begun to shape the program in his own way. He’s getting local recruits to buy in. He’s begun utilizing the transfer portal.
With Kelly, Northwestern has a chance to find a new form of success in Evanston in the Braun era.