Bob Bicknell Added to Northwestern Football Coaching Staff
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Northwestern football is continuing its aggressive pursuit of elite coaching talent this offseason. In an official announcement on Sunday, Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun confirmed that Bob Bicknell will join the Wildcats’ staff as the team’s new tight ends coach.
Northwestern Football's Bob Bicknell Became The NFL Pedigree
Bicknell arrives in Evanston with a resume that few at the collegiate level can match. A veteran with over three decades of experience. He has coached at nearly every level of the sport, from the FBS and NFL Europe to the highest echelons of the NFL.
Welcome to Northwestern Football, Bob Bicknell!
— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) January 4, 2026
Bicknell joins the staff as Tight Ends Coach, bringing over 30 years of experience at the NFL and collegiate levels. pic.twitter.com/zPhhonSieJ
Bicknell most recently served as a senior offensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2025 season. It was followed by a one-year stint as the tight ends coach for the New England Patriots in 2024. His impact in New England was immediate. Under his guidance, Patriots tight end Hunter Henry finished the season ranked eighth among all NFL tight ends with 674 receiving yards.
Prior to his time in New England, Bicknell spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the New Orleans Saints as a senior offensive assistant. There, he played a key role in helping develop Taysom Hill into one of the NFL’s most dynamic hybrid threats. Over those two years, Hill combined for 14 passing and rushing touchdowns.
While he will lead Northwestern’s tight ends, Bicknell’s success spans the entire offensive spectrum. During a three-year stint with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2018 to 2020, he oversaw a wide receiver room that flourished even amid adversity.
In 2019, despite losing star receiver A.J. Green to a season-ending injury, Bicknell guided four receivers. They are Tyler Boyd, Alex Erickson, Auden Tate, and John Ross. He even took them to career highs in both receptions and receiving yards.
In 2017, Bicknell served as wide receivers coach at Baylor. That's where he helped sophomore Denzel Mims produce a breakout campaign with 61 receptions, 1,087 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of Bicknell’s hire is his long-standing professional relationship with Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. The two first worked together with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2015.
Versatility in the Trenches and on the Perimeter
Under Bicknell’s guidance, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin each posted career-best seasons and earned Pro Bowl honors. Maclin recorded 1,318 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014, while Jackson tallied 1,332 yards and 82 receptions in 2013.
The pair reunited in 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers, further strengthening an offensive partnership that now continues in Evanston. Between his early collegiate coaching years and his entry into the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007.
Bicknell’s coaching journey began in 1993 at Boston University, but his football roots run even deeper. A letterwinner at Boston College from 1989 to 1991, he played tight end under his father, Jack Bicknell, before later coaching under Tom Coughlin. His brother, Jack Bicknell Jr, is currently serving as the offensive line coach at West Virginia.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.