Georgia Tech Offensive Coordinator Target Lands Big Ten Job

Chip Kelly interviewed for the Georgia Tech offensive coordinator position, but he is heading to another conference

Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly talks to the media during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Earlier this month, Georgia Tech reportedly interviewed former NFL and college head coach Chip Kelly for its vacant offensive coordinator position, but when a deal did not materialize quickly, it felt like this one was heading in another direction. Today, it was announced that Kelly is going to be the offensive coordinator at Northwestern.

Welcome to Northwestern, Chip Kelly!

A veteran offensive mind with 35 years of NFL and college experience joins David Braun’s staff as Offensive Coordinator. pic.twitter.com/RR71XKEXGZ

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) December 30, 2025

With the transfer portal opening at the end of the week, it will be worth keeping an eye on when Brent Key decides to announce his hire for the offensive coordinator position that is open because Buster Faulkner left for Florida.

Kelly rose to prominence when he was the head coach at Oregon, revolutionizing their offense and bringing about a new wave of offenses in college football. He was regarded as one of, if not the top offensive minds in the sport. He took the Ducks to the national championship game in 2010. Before he left for the Philadelphia Eagles head coaching job, Kelly had a 46-7 career record.

Kelly was the Eagles head coach from 2013-2015 and then was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for the 2016 season. After taking a year off, Kelly returned to college, becoming the head coach of UCLA in 2018. Kelly's tenure did not start off well, as he missed a bowl game in his first three seasons, but he got things turned around and finished with three straight seasons of at least eight wins. Kelly left UCLA to be the offensive coordinator for Ohio State after the 2023 season and his final record at UCLA was 35-34.

Kelly was a fantastic offensive coordinator for Ohio State last season, helping lead the Buckeyes to the national championship and calling plays for the most talented offense in the country. After spending only one season in Columbus, Kelly left to become the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders, where he was fired after a 2-9 start to the season.

Big offseason ahead

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key talks with the referee against the BYU Cougars during the first half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Since the beginning of the season, head coach Brent Key has talked about the program making a jump this season and they did. After the loss to BYU on Saturday, Key was asked about the next steps for this program to make another jump:

"I stick by what I say all the time, getting better or getting worse, right? We will head back tonight. I will sleep for a couple of days, like a hibernating bear. I say that. I probably won't.

We have work to do. We have work to do. We have to make sure we have the best roster we can possibly have, put together the best staff that we can possibly have. It will be here fast. As quick as this season went, the next one will be here. We have to continue with the identity that these guys have built. We are rolling into the next one, because we have a lot of work to do.

But the jump, the next one is better than this. It has to be, right? Again, that isn't always dictated by wins and losses. That is dictated by the type of team you have, how you play the game, all those things.

Ultimately, I get it. We are all judged by the wins and losses, but when you put it together the right way, those all become a by-product of having everything in the right place, and the kids all believe in the same thing, and the staff believes in the same thing."

Brent Key has his work cut out for him this off season if Georgia Tech is going to make another jump.

For starters, he has to replace quite a few offensive staff members. Buster Faulkner and some other coaches have left for Florida, running backs coach Norval McKenzie is now at Virginia Tech, and Geep Wade is now at Nebraska. Key has yet to hire an OC and with the transfer portal opening this week, I would expect that position to be filled soon.

Georgia Tech also has to figure out what it is going to do at quarterback. Aaron Philo was set to follow Haynes King as the starting quarterback, but Philo entered the portal and is going to be playing elsewhere next season. I would expect Georgia Tech to find a quarterback in the transfer portal portal to compete with rising third year QB Graham Knowles. It is fair to expect a dropoff from the level that King played at, but how much?

Key is also going to need to upgrade this roster in a meaningful way. By both the transfer portal and developing the young talent on the roster, this team has to be much better overall, particularly on the defensive side of the football.