Chip Kelly is Taking his Talents to Evanston, Illinois

Chipper to Northwestern:

Does anybody else find it curious that Chip alternates between success and failure at each consecutive job? Well, sort of. It’s a mostly consistent path if you break it out in 2-3 year blocks, going in reverse chronological order:

• Raiders: fired in less than a season
• Ohio State: won a national title
• final three UCLA years: 25-13, three bowl berths
• first three UCLA years: 10-21, zero bowl berths
• last two NFL seasons (Niners and Eagles): 8-23, fired twice
• first two NFL seasons (Eagles): 20-12, two ten-win seasons*
• Oregon: raging success, 46-7 over four years with three top-four finishes and a Natty loss

Then you go way back to the New Hampshire days before he became a head coach, but his career path is really interesting. He’s had a ton of success in some situations, and been an abject failure in others. If the pattern continues, he’ll do well in Evanston under David Braun, who is a defensive guy needing a savvy OC. Northwestern finished this season 98th in points per game (23.4) while averaging 5.42 yards per play (90th). That’s a team that could turn a corner after losing close games this year against Michigan, Nebraska, and Illinois.

*Never forget that the 10-win Eagles missed out on a playoff spot in 2015 while the 7-8-1 Panthers got in

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