Chip Kelly’s football journey has come full circle. It has landed him back in the Big Ten, where he just tasted championship glory. Northwestern announced on December 30, 2025, that it’s hiring the veteran coach as its new offensive coordinator. Kelly spent the 2024 season as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, helping the Buckeyes capture a national championship. After leaving Columbus and becoming the NFL’s highest-paid offensive coordinator with the Las Vegas Raiders, Kelly’s tenure in Sin City turned into a nightmare.​

The Raiders fired Kelly on November 23, 2025, just 11 games into his first season, after the team stumbled to a 2-9 record. Now Northwestern’s betting that Kelly can work his magic on an offense that desperately needs a spark. But if you really want to understand where Chip Kelly’s coaching philosophy comes from, you’ve got to go back to a living room in New Hampshire, where his parents, Paul and Jean Kelly, taught him lessons that would shape everything he’d become.​

Who is Chip Kelly’s father, Paul Kelly?

Paul Kelly was the steady, principled force behind Chip’s development both as a person and as a coach. Born on January 16, 1929, in Boston’s working-class Dorchester neighborhood, Paul took an unconventional path to becoming a successful trial lawyer. He studied in a seminary and lived in Japan for three years before eventually attending law school and joining the New Hampshire bar in 1960. For over four decades, Paul practiced law in Manchester, New Hampshire, building a reputation as a cerebral, competitive attorney who valued action over empty promises. His professional mantra, “Deeds, not words,” became the family motto that he drilled into all four of his sons.​

Who is Chip Kelly’s mother, Jean Kelly?

Jean Kelly was the emotional heartbeat of the Kelly household, bringing warmth, optimism, and unwavering encouragement to balance Paul’s discipline and structure. Chip has described his mother as “the most optimistic person I’ve ever been around.” He credits her with teaching him how to find light even in the darkest moments. While detailed public information about Jean’s professional background remains limited, her influence on Chip’s life and coaching career is undeniable and repeatedly acknowledged by the coach himself.​

What ethnicity are Chip Kelly’s parents?

There is no specific detailed documentation about Paul and Jean Kelly’s exact ethnic lineage. And any assumptions won’t do justice to the coach and his parents’ ancestry.

Who are Chip Kelly’s siblings?

Chip Kelly is the third of four boys born to Paul and Jean Kelly. The brothers were raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, in a household where sports, education, and character development went hand in hand. Publicly available information about Chip’s specific siblings remains limited. Two of Chip’s brothers moved out of the New England area, according to a 2013 report.

Top Stories

Cowboys Fire Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus: Contract, Salary, NFL Earnings & More

Adam Peaty Faces Gordon Ramsay’s Sly Dig Amid Parents’ Controversial Wedding Absence

Russell Wilson Announces Retirement Stance as Giants QB Shares Hidden Injury News

Marina Mabrey Is Raising Eyebrows Again With Fiery Unrivaled Confrontation

Huge Fire Destroys Over 125-Year-Old Golf Club Designed by 5x Open Winner in London – Report

Dolphins Reportedly Indecisive About Mike McDaniel as GM Search Kicks Off

Are Brian Kelly and Chip Kelly related?

No, Brian Kelly and Chip Kelly are not related, despite sharing the same last name and both being prominent college football coaches. This is one of the most frequently asked questions in college football circles, as both men have been among the elite coaches in the sport over the past two decades. Brian Kelly was born in Everett, Massachusetts, in 1961, two years before Chip was born in Dover, New Hampshire, in 1963. They have different parents, different family backgrounds, and no blood relation connecting them.​

Chip Kelly’s relationship with his parents

Chip Kelly’s relationship with his parents was built on a foundation of mutual respect, unwavering loyalty, and values that transcended football. Paul and Jean raised a man whose core principles about commitment and character became inseparable from his professional identity.

When Paul passed away on December 2, 2016, Chip was devastated. He called the loss “the first impactful one in my life.” Despite his grief, Chip coached the 49ers’ game against Chicago just two days later because, as he explained, his mother wanted him to. “I don’t think you can really be prepared for it,” Chip said. “It’s what you have to do, and I think that’s how you honor them is to move on. And think about the good times and gain strength from that.”

The lessons Paul taught Chip about loyalty became non-negotiable principles in his coaching career. In 2016, when rumors swirled about Chip potentially leaving the struggling 49ers to return to Oregon, he shut them down emphatically. He cited the values his father instilled. “That’s one thing I did learn from my dad,” Chip told reporters. “They made a commitment to me. I made a commitment to them. I’m not searching around and looking for other jobs while I have a job.”

Chip explained that he would never leave players mid-season for a better opportunity because it would violate everything his father taught him about honoring commitments. “I could never look [my players] in the face again and talk to them about commitment,” he said. 

Jean’s influence manifested differently but just as powerfully in Chip’s coaching approach. Her optimism and emphasis on sticking together during adversity became cornerstones of how Chip builds team culture. When disaster struck, Chip consistently preached unity, resilience, and forward-thinking positivity, messages that came straight from his mother’s playbook.