Evanston express: Braun believes adding Kelly at OC will be ‘game-changer’ for NU
The past three years have been an interesting ride for Chip Kelly.
In 2023, he was head coach at UCLA. Then he took a voluntary demotion to become offensive coordinator at Ohio State, and helped guide the Buckeyes to the national championship. This fall, he was OC for the worst team in the NFL, the Las Vegas Raiders.
Next stop: Northwestern.
In a bold and surprising move, Northwestern announced the addition of Kelly, 62, as the school's offensive coordinator on Tuesday. He'll replace Zach Lujan, who was let go Monday after two years on the job.
The message seems clear. As it moves into a new stadium next season, Northwestern is serious about competing in the Big Ten.
Kelly's name has been synonymous with the spread offense for a few decades. It began when he first became an offensive coordinator at New Hampshire in 1999 with current Ohio State head coach Ryan Day as his quarterback. Since then, Kelly has been head coach for Oregon, the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, then UCLA from 2018-23.
“This is a bold, aggressive action that's (about) taking the next step with our offense,” NU head coach David Braun said on a Zoom call with reporters. “I truly believe that coach Kelly is the right fit for Northwestern at this time, in this new era of Northwestern football.”
Braun confirmed it was NU athletic director Mark Jackson who connected him with Kelly. Jackson spent a year on Pete Carroll's staff when he coached the New England Patriots, and Carroll is now the Raiders' head coach. Braun emphasized it was his decision to make the hire.
“Through conversations and really getting to know him … it was very evident to me that an opportunity to bring him on board, and have him be a part of Northwestern football, was something that could be an absolute game-changer for this program,” Braun said.
The next step is to hit the transfer portal. With the new stadium and this hire, it seems evident that Northwestern plans to be competitive in NIL spending.
A new quarterback might be high on the shopping list, since that's a position where the Cats haven't had much success recently. Batavia native Ryan Boe was grad transfer Preston Stone's backup this season. Sean Winton from York High School joined the roster as a preferred walk-on, while Fremd's Johnny O'Brien is an incoming freshman.
The Wildcats could bring back leading rusher Caleb Komolafe and top receiver Griffin Wilde if they choose to stay, but they will need to rebuild the offensive line.
Braun has mentioned multiple times that his goal is to win the Big Ten and play in the College Football Playoff. It's really not far-fetched considering Indiana has made the CFP two years in a row, and Northwestern twice played in the Big Ten title game when Pat Fitzgerald was head coach.
Northwestern (7-6) ranked No. 96 in total offense this season at 346.1 yards per game.
“I felt like it was a needed change for our program if we truly want to talk about winning Big Ten championships,” Braun said. “I've had an opportunity to build a relationship with Chip and feel really confident this is the right decision for our program.”