Chip Kelly lands new job at Northwestern after Raiders firing

Chip Kelly is heading back to school.

The veteran coach is set to become the next offensive coordinator at Northwestern, ESPN reported Tuesday morning.

Kelly takes over the Wildcats’ offense after his turbulent first season as the OC for the Las Vegas Raiders got cut short, getting fired on Nov. 23 after a brutal 2–9 start. 

Chip Kelly was fired from the Las Vegas Raiders in November amid a 2-9 start. AP

The 62-year-old Kelly is a two-time college head coach at Oregon and UCLA, and he also helmed the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

Before joining Las Vegas for the 2025 season, he won a national title as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

He previously called plays at New Hampshire from 1999–2006, and later with the Ducks from 2007–2008 before getting elevated to head coach. 

Kelly’s hiring helps usher in a new era for Northwestern football under head coach David Braun, as the program is set to open the new state-of-the-art Ryan Field next season.

Chip Kelly is a former head coach at UCLA and Oregon. Getty Images

The Wildcats posted a 7–6 record during the 2025 campaign and owned the Big Ten’s 15th-ranked scoring offense (22.5 points per game).