Chip Kelly
Charles Edward Kelly is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for Northwestern. He came to prominence as a college football head coach at Oregon from 2009 to 2012, leading them to the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. Kelly's success led to a stint in the NFL, where he coached for four seasons, three with the Philadelphia Eagles and one with the San Francisco 49ers. After the NFL, Kelly returned to college in 2018 as the head coach for UCLA, coaching for six seasons before leaving in 2024 to join Ohio State as their offensive coordinator. Kelly was hired by the NFL team, the Las Vegas Raiders, to be their offensive coordinator in 2025, but was fired after Week 12 following a 2–9 start to the season. He returned again to the collegiate ranks in 2026 with Northwestern.
Early life and education
Kelly was born in Dover, New Hampshire. He attended Manchester Central High School, where he played football, ice hockey, and basketball. Kelly earned his Bachelor of Science in physical education from the University of New Hampshire in 1990.Kelly played quarterback at Manchester Central High School and defensive back at the University of New Hampshire.
Coaching career
Early coaching years
Kelly broke into the coaching ranks in 1990 for the Columbia University Lions, where he served as secondary and special teams coach for the freshman team. The next year, Kelly was outside linebackers and strong safeties coach for the varsity team. In 1992, he went to the University of New Hampshire — his alma mater — as the running backs coach. A year later, Kelly left to become the defensive coordinator at Johns Hopkins University for one season. He returned to his alma mater as the running backs coach for the next three seasons. Kelly was just in time to devise a zone-blocking scheme for star Jerry Azumah. From 1995 through 1998, the speedy back raised the profile of UNH football as he rushed for what was then an FCS record 6,193 yards. Kelly changed to the offensive line coach for two seasons.Kelly was promoted to offensive coordinator at New Hampshire in 1999. The Wildcats' offenses averaged better than 400 yards per game of total offense in seven of his eight seasons.
In 2004, the school broke 29 offensive school records; compiling 5,446 yards of total offense and scoring 40 or more points in seven games. Their best offensive output was in 2005 when the Wildcats finished second nationally in total offense, third in scoring, and fifth in passing. They finished the season with an 11–2 record.
Kelly was named the College Assistant Coach of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston following the 2005 season in addition to being selected as "one of college football's hottest coaches" by American Football Monthly. In 2006, quarterback Ricky Santos won the Walter Payton Award under Kelly's guidance, after Santos finished second in balloting for the award in 2005.
Kelly, along with UNLV Rebels head coach Dan Mullen, former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, is part of the so-called "New Hampshire mafia" as they all have strong connections to New Hampshire.
Oregon (2007–2012)
Offensive coordinator
Kelly was hired as offensive coordinator at Oregon in February 2007. His potent spread offense attack was an instant success at Oregon.In his first season as offensive coordinator at Oregon, the Ducks led the Pac-10 in scoring and total offense, and also became the highest scoring team while amassing the most yards in the history of Oregon football. Prior to Kelly's arrival at Oregon, Dennis Dixon struggled in his first three seasons at quarterback. Under Kelly's guidance, Dixon was the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
In 2008, the Ducks once again led the Pac-10 in scoring and total offense, while breaking the school record marks set the previous season.
Head coach
On March 31, 2009, Oregon announced head coach Mike Bellotti would be promoted to athletic director, with Kelly promoted to head coach.Kelly coached the Oregon Ducks to BCS games in each of his four seasons as head coach: the 2010 Rose Bowl, 2011 BCS National Championship Game, 2012 Rose Bowl, and 2013 Fiesta Bowl. Kelly coached Oregon to three consecutive outright conference championships from 2009 to 2011 and a conference division title in 2012. Oregon won its second consecutive BCS bowl game after they defeated #5 Kansas State in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. What may be considered the most important part of Kelly's résumé at Oregon, however, is that he posted undefeated records against the Ducks most hated rivals, the Oregon State Beavers and the Washington Huskies, something never before achieved by an Oregon coach.
Kelly was named the 2009 and 2010 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, 2010 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, 2010 Sporting News Coach of the Year, 2010 AFCA Coach of the Year Award, and 2010 Associated Press Coach of the Year.
Kelly helped the Ducks gain national attention in 2009 after an upset of the then #5 USC Trojans on October 31. Kelly became the first Pac-10 coach to win an outright conference championship in his first season, sending the Ducks to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1995. The Ducks hoped to win their first Rose Bowl since 1917, but lost a close game to Ohio State. On December 7, 2009, Kelly was named Pac-10 Coach of the year. He was the second Ducks coach to earn the honor, the other being Rich Brooks.
Prior to the 2010 season, Kelly suspended Jeremiah Masoli for the season after the quarterback pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary charges, marking the second year in a row that a key player was suspended. Masoli was later dismissed from the team following an arrest for marijuana possession and several driving infractions. In early October, Kelly led the team to a #1 spot on the AP, Harris, and USA Today Coaches Poll, followed a few weeks later by a #1 BCS ranking. With a 37–20 win over the Oregon State Beavers on December 4, 2010, Kelly led the Ducks to a 9–0 finish in conference play, winning their second consecutive outright Pac-10 title. With Darron Thomas at quarterback and Doak Walker Award winner LaMichael James at running back, the Ducks averaged 49.3 points and 537.5 yards per game in the regular season. In December, following an undefeated 12–0 season and an end-of-season #2 BCS ranking, Oregon was selected to play the #1 Auburn Tigers in the BCS national championship game on January 10, 2011. The Tigers, out of the Southeastern Conference, were coached by Gene Chizik, and had the Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback in Cam Newton. The Ducks lost, 22–19, on a last-second, 19-yard field goal by Wes Byrum. It was the closest that a team from the Pacific Northwest has come to winning a share of the national championship since 1991. In recognition of his coaching achievements, Kelly received the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, the Walter Camp Coach of the Year award and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year for the second year running. Kelly also won the AP Coach of the Year.
The 2011 season began with the #3 Ducks facing the #4 LSU Tigers in the Cowboys Classic where they were defeated 40–27. Oregon won their next nine games, including a 53–30 blowout victory at #3 Stanford. A consecutive trip back to the BCS Championship appeared to be a strong possibility, but they were defeated 38–35 by #18 USC when an Oregon field goal attempt failed as time expired. The Ducks won their third straight Pac-12 championship title after defeating UCLA in the inaugural Pac-12 Football Championship Game. They represented the Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl and defeated #10 Wisconsin 45–38. It was their second Rose Bowl appearance in three years and their sixth overall. This was Oregon's third consecutive year in a BCS bowl game. The Ducks finished the season 12–2 with a #4 final season ranking.
Oregon's all-time leading rusher LaMichael James decided to forgo his senior season in 2012 for the NFL and starting quarterback Darron Thomas, with a career starting record of 23–3, surprisingly also decided to leave early for the NFL. Led by redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota at quarterback and senior tailback Kenjon Barner, Oregon rolled to ten straight victories before finally falling to #14 Stanford in overtime 17–14 on November 17. Oregon had two opportunities to beat Stanford with a field goal but both attempts failed. Kelly's Ducks would rebound to beat #16 Oregon State in the Civil War for the fifth straight year and play #5 Kansas State in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. The Ducks proved to be too much for Kansas State as they prevailed in a 35–17 victory in Oregon's fourth consecutive year in a BCS bowl game. The Ducks finished the season 12–1 with a #2 ranking, putting them in the top five of the final season rankings for the third straight season.
NCAA sanctions
On April 16, 2013, The Oregonian reported that the University of Oregon had offered to put its football program on two years' probation in response to NCAA violations that allegedly took place during Kelly's tenure as head coach. On June 26, 2013, the NCAA Committee on Infractions issued its report concluding the investigation into Oregon's use of football scouting services. Oregon received three years of probation, reduction of scholarships, but no bowl ban. Kelly received an 18-month show-cause penalty, which would have made an immediate hiring by another NCAA institution difficult. This obstacle became moot, however, after Kelly spent the next four years coaching in the NFL.NFL interest
coach Tom Coughlin tried to hire Kelly as a quality control coach in 2006 when he was still the offensive coordinator at the University of New Hampshire. Kelly turned down the offer and shortly after became the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon.In the spring of 2009, Jon Gruden and Kelly spent several days in Tampa, Florida, discussing theories, progressions, and offensive strategies. In November 2010, he visited Pete Carroll at the Seattle Seahawks practice facility during an Oregon bye week.
In January 2012, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers interviewed Kelly for the head coach position, but he declined to take the job since he had "unfinished business to complete" with the Ducks.
During the 2012 offseason, Kelly met with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to discuss how he operated the "blur" offense that Kelly ran at Oregon. New England had implemented the hurry up offense as early as 2007. Oregonian columnist John Canzano speculated that Kelly was waiting for the New England Patriots head coaching position to become available.
In early January 2013, numerous NFL teams expressed interest and Kelly was interviewed by the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. After a seven-hour meeting with the Browns followed by a nine-hour meeting with the Eagles, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Kelly initially decided to remain at Oregon. A week later, Kelly accepted the offer from Philadelphia and became head coach of the Eagles.