Northwestern football news: Wildcats get $35 million gift to level up program

Over the next three years, Liz and Dick Uihlein will be giving the Northwestern Wildcats football program $35 million in a heartfelt gesture.

According to Pete Thamel, the donation is “intended for holistic football success.” That includes going towards “recruiting support and broader program needs.”

The donation shows Northwestern’s financial commitment to competing in the Big Ten. The program has received gifts to open the new Ryan Field, which cost over $850 million, and hired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

It will be a big year for Northwestern. The Wildcats finished 7-6 in 2025, their best record since 2023, going 4-5 in Big Ten matchups.

Head coach David Braun is entering his fourth season with the team. Meanwhile, Tim McGarigle is entering his third season as defensive coordinator.

Kelly was a big hire for Northwestern. He returns to college after spending 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders, a stint that did not go well. The Raiders were a disaster in 2025, and quarterback Geno Smith threw 17 interceptions, the most in the NFL, in just 15 games.

Suffice it to say, he was fired by the Raiders. The team moved on from him in November after starting the year 2-9. Head coach Pete Carroll was also fired after the season.

Throughout his career, Kelly has coached for various NCAA programs and NFL teams. His most notable success came at Oregon. He was the team’s offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2008 before becoming the head coach in 2009. In his four years as the team’s head coach, he won a Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, going 46-7 across those seasons.

He would find success with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2015. Kelly would then have a one-year run with the San Francisco 49ers before finding himself in the NCAA again. He coached the UCLA Bruins from 2018 to 2023, going 35-34 in six seasons. After finishing in first place in all four years as Oregon’s coach, he failed to do so in any of his six years with UCLA.