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Chip Kelly is Taking his Talents to Evanston, Illinois
Published:
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
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com