Chip Kelly Is Trending in Oregon Circles For Wrong Reasons

When Chip Kelly reigned as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks, he was famously known for his high-speed spread offense and some occasional impatience with the media.

Now, as the offensive coordinator for the Northwestern Wildcats, he is helping reconstruct one of the worst offenses in the Big Ten Conference while literally wearing construction gear.

Nov 26, 2010; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly before a game against the Arizona Wildcats at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chip Kelly Is Trending in Oregon Circles For Wrong Reasons

Ducks fans are having to do a double-take. Kelly had some fun with a Wildcats media appearance, wearing a hard hat and purple construction vest while speaking to reporters amid the ongoing renovations at the new Ryan Field, which makes its big debut on Oct. 2 when Northwestern hosts Penn State.

The fall off since leaving UO has been insane pic.twitter.com/PRSedIaT16
— Barstool Ducks (@BarstoolDucks) July 21, 2026

Imagine telling a Duck fan in 2010 that this was the future for Chip Kelly pic.twitter.com/dGSVasq8IZ
— Dirt & Sprague (@DirtAndSprague) July 21, 2026

The photo is trending because of the massive change from what Kelly was like as Ducks coach and fans are poking some fun. His Oregon press conferences often contained short, dry answers with little interest in creating a spectacle like donning a hard hat and construction vest.

Clearly, a lot has changed on and off the field for Kelly. Fast forward to 2026, the Ducks are a Big Ten power while Kelly is trying to help one of the conference’s rebuilding programs close the gap.

Chip Kelly To Face Former Teams In Big Ten

Kelly was fired as the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders halfway through the 2025 NFL season. His job at Northwestern is his fourth job over the past four seasons, which include: UCLA Bruins head coach, Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator, Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator and now back to the Big Ten with the Wildcats.

Of his former teams, Kelly and Northwestern will play Oregon (Oct. 31 at Autzen Stadium) and Ohio State (Nov. 14 at Ohio Stadium) this season. Talk about a tough draw. He will not face the UCLA Bruins in the regular season.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during Oregon football’s media day Monday, July 29, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Don't overlook Kelly and the Wildcats this season, who are looking to improve on a 7-6 season. Kelly will be able to concentrate on offense under coach David Braun while new quarterbacks coach Jerry Neuheisel brings in some excitement as well. His return on Halloween to Autzen Stadium will be anticipated.

Chip Kelly At Oregon and Ohio State

When Kelly left Eugene after the 2012 season, he was one of the hottest coaches in all of football. Ducks fans largely hold him in high regards for the massive success he had at Oregon.

Kelly was Oregon's offensive coordinator from 2007-08 and the head coach from 2009-2012 with a 46-7 overall record. To Ducks fans' delight, he led the team to wins in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl, appeared in two Rose Bowls (winning in 2012), as well as the 2011 BCS national championship game during that span.

December 4, 2010, Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly waits before leading his team onto the field against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kelly left an unmistakable impact on Oregon football with an innovative, aggressive offense built to overwhelm opponents and run up the scoreboard. The Ducks offense stretched defenses from sideline to sideline, featured electric running backs like LaMichael James and Kenyon Barner, and consistently attacked downfield, with a few trick plays mixed in.

He also had a lot of success with Oregon's Big Ten foe Ohio State.

On his way to winning the 2024 national championship with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Kelly's offense averaged 6.9 yards per play (fourth-highest in FBS), created a scoring offense tied for No. 12 in the country (35.7 points per game), and only turned the ball over 1.0 times per game (tied for No. 105 least).

Mar 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly works with quarterbacks during the first spring practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon beat Kelly and Ohio State, the last time the former Ducks coach was at Autzen Stadium in 2024. Kelly and the Buckeyes got their chance at revenge in the College Football Semifinal at the Rose Bowl and beat Oregon 41-21. After that playoff game, Kelly made a point to call out his former team for using the intentional penalty during the Ducks' regular season win.

"It was a unique message to our players, that you can't stop us with 11," Kelly said. "You had to stop us with 12. And then you saw the final result of 11 vs. 11."

The flag Kelly referred to was a controversial one that drained seconds off the clock, giving Ohio State less time for a potential game-winning field goal during Oregon's 32-31 win over the Buckeyes.

Now, with Kelly at a rebuilding Big Ten program, Ducks fans are more keen to root for his successes. His purple vest and construction hat are a new look, but he will always be a big part of Oregon Football history.

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