Chip Lindsey Hired As Offensive Coordinator
December 15, 2022 | Football
CHAPEL HILL – The University of North Carolina has named 26-year veteran Chip Lindsey its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Head Coach Mack Brown announced on Thursday. One of the nation's most innovative offensive minds, Lindsey has a track record of producing explosive offenses as a head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He's overseen offenses that have averaged at least 30 points per game in eight of his 11 seasons as a full-time staff member at the collegiate level.
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Chip, his wife Cecily, and their four children, Claire, Caroline, Cooper and Conner, to the Carolina football family," Brown said. "Chip is well-versed in UNC's offensive style of play and he has a wealth of experience working with some of the greatest offensive minds in the country. You can see that in the way his offenses play. Chip is multiple in his approach and has the unique skill of adapting based on personnel. He's developed quarterbacks at a high level including two current NFL QBs in Nick Mullens and Jarrett Stidham. Chip does a great job teaching the young men he works with and giving them the ability to maximize their potential. Everyone I spoke with during the search raved about him as both a coach and a person and we're thrilled he and his family are part of our program."
During his lone season as offensive coordinator at UCF, Lindsey guided an offense that ranked 26th nationally in scoring (34.4 ppg), 11th in total offense (480.6 ypg), and eighth in rushing offense (236.1 ypg). The Knights' rushed for 200 or more yards in nine games in 2022 and their 33 rushing TDs tied for 10th nationally and led the AAC.
Lindsey spent the previous three years as head coach at Troy. During his second season, Troy ranked 21st nationally and second in the Sun Belt in passing yards per game (290.2). The Trojan offensive line ranked third nationally in Pro Football Focus pass blocking efficiency ratings, allowing just nine sacks, six quarterback hits and 45 hurries for 60 total pressures.
In Lindsey's first season at Troy, the Trojans topped the 500-yard mark in total offense on six different occasions to tie the program's DI record and scored 35-plus points eight times, which was the second most in program history and fourth most in Sun Belt history. The Trojans finished ninth nationally in passing offense (313.2), 25th in scoring offense (33.8) and 18th in total offense (456.3).
Lindsey guided quarterback Kaleb Barker to one of the best seasons in Troy history. Barker finished third nationally in completions per game (24.92), fifth in yards per game (302.3), fourth in 300-yard passing games (six) and 14th in touchdown passes (30).
During the 2017-18 campaigns, Lindsey served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn. The Tigers defeated Pac-12 Champion Washington and nationally-ranked Texas A&M during the 2018 campaign en route to thumping Purdue in the Music City Bowl.
In 2017, Auburn became just the eighth team in SEC history, and the first in Auburn history, to rush and pass for 3,000 yards in a season. The Tigers ranked 26th nationally in total offense and set an Auburn record scoring 327 points in SEC play. Auburn won the SEC West Division after knocking off a pair of top-ranked teams in Georgia and Alabama over a three-week period.
All-SEC and NFL quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the second Auburn player ever to throw for 3,000 yards in a season, led the conference and ranked ninth nationally in completion percentage. Running back Kerryon Johnson was SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and Ryan Davis set an Auburn receiving record with 84 catches. Lindsey's first stint at Auburn as an offensive analyst in 2013 resulted in the Tigers winning the SEC Championship and an appearance in the BCS National Championship game.
"I had a wonderful experience playing for Coach Lindsey," said Stidham. "His knowledge and ability to teach truly helped me develop as a player. We had great success together at Auburn, and I'm still utilizing his coaching principles in the NFL. I'm thrilled for Coach Lindsey and his family and I know he'll do a great job for UNC."
Lindsey returned to Auburn from Arizona State, where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2016. The Sun Devils started 5-1 (before losing three quarterbacks to injury), while running back Kalen Ballage tied an NCAA record scoring eight TDs in a 68-55 win over Texas Tech.
As offensive coordinator at Southern Miss from 2014-15, he developed Conference USA 2015 Offensive Player of the Year and NFL quarterback Nick Mullens, who ranked second in the league in passing yards (4,145) and TD passes (36) and ranked in the top eight nationally.
"Coach Lindsey is first and foremost a great man with a great family," said Mullens. "He's an excellent coach, who helped me develop into the player I am today. He does a great job of teaching quarterbacks and has the ability to help us understand not only what we were supposed to do but why w'ere doing it. I couldn't be happier for Coach Lindsey and his family. This is a great hire for UNC."
The Southern Miss offense broke five single-season school records in 2015: completions (312), passing yards (4,263), total offense yards (6,758), TDs (67) and points (528), as the Golden Eagles recorded nine wins, a Conference USA West title and a berth in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Washington.
Lindsey's 2015 Golden Eagle offense ranked fifth in the nation in total TDs, seventh in total points, eighth in total passing yards and completions and 12th in points per game and passing yards per game. The national leader with 102 explosive plays, Southern Miss was just the second school in FBS history with a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard rushers.
"North Carolina just hit a home run in the hiring of Chip Lindsey," said current Georgia OC and former USM Head Coach Todd Monken. "He was with me at Southern Miss and was instrumental in us getting that program back on track. He is a perfect fit to build off the success UNC has had and take it to another level."
Lindsey served as quarterbacks coach at Troy in 2010, following a long and distinguished career as a prep coach in Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia (1997-2009) in football and baseball. At Troy, he coached the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Corey Robinson and helped guide the Trojans to their fifth consecutive Sun Belt Championship. Robinson set a school record for completions (321) that season while his 3,726 passing yards rank as the second most in Troy history. The Trojans totaled the second most passing touchdowns (33) and most completions (340) in a season in school history.
In addition to the hires of new offensive coordinator and QBs coach Chip Lindsey and offensive line coach Randy Clements, Coach Brown has added pass game coordinator to Lonnie Galloway's title and run game coordinator to John Lilly's title.
"Coach Galloway and Coach Lilly have done amazing jobs for our program. Each one has excelled in their areas of responsibility and they are key assets to the success of our program. I'm very appreciative of their hard work, and as a result, they've earned these additions to their titles and job descriptions."
For up-to-date information on Carolina football, visit GoHeels.com/Football and follow us on Twitter (@UNCFootball), Instagram (@uncfootball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/TarHeelFootball).
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Chip, his wife Cecily, and their four children, Claire, Caroline, Cooper and Conner, to the Carolina football family," Brown said. "Chip is well-versed in UNC's offensive style of play and he has a wealth of experience working with some of the greatest offensive minds in the country. You can see that in the way his offenses play. Chip is multiple in his approach and has the unique skill of adapting based on personnel. He's developed quarterbacks at a high level including two current NFL QBs in Nick Mullens and Jarrett Stidham. Chip does a great job teaching the young men he works with and giving them the ability to maximize their potential. Everyone I spoke with during the search raved about him as both a coach and a person and we're thrilled he and his family are part of our program."
During his lone season as offensive coordinator at UCF, Lindsey guided an offense that ranked 26th nationally in scoring (34.4 ppg), 11th in total offense (480.6 ypg), and eighth in rushing offense (236.1 ypg). The Knights' rushed for 200 or more yards in nine games in 2022 and their 33 rushing TDs tied for 10th nationally and led the AAC.
Lindsey spent the previous three years as head coach at Troy. During his second season, Troy ranked 21st nationally and second in the Sun Belt in passing yards per game (290.2). The Trojan offensive line ranked third nationally in Pro Football Focus pass blocking efficiency ratings, allowing just nine sacks, six quarterback hits and 45 hurries for 60 total pressures.
In Lindsey's first season at Troy, the Trojans topped the 500-yard mark in total offense on six different occasions to tie the program's DI record and scored 35-plus points eight times, which was the second most in program history and fourth most in Sun Belt history. The Trojans finished ninth nationally in passing offense (313.2), 25th in scoring offense (33.8) and 18th in total offense (456.3).
Lindsey guided quarterback Kaleb Barker to one of the best seasons in Troy history. Barker finished third nationally in completions per game (24.92), fifth in yards per game (302.3), fourth in 300-yard passing games (six) and 14th in touchdown passes (30).
During the 2017-18 campaigns, Lindsey served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn. The Tigers defeated Pac-12 Champion Washington and nationally-ranked Texas A&M during the 2018 campaign en route to thumping Purdue in the Music City Bowl.
In 2017, Auburn became just the eighth team in SEC history, and the first in Auburn history, to rush and pass for 3,000 yards in a season. The Tigers ranked 26th nationally in total offense and set an Auburn record scoring 327 points in SEC play. Auburn won the SEC West Division after knocking off a pair of top-ranked teams in Georgia and Alabama over a three-week period.
All-SEC and NFL quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the second Auburn player ever to throw for 3,000 yards in a season, led the conference and ranked ninth nationally in completion percentage. Running back Kerryon Johnson was SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and Ryan Davis set an Auburn receiving record with 84 catches. Lindsey's first stint at Auburn as an offensive analyst in 2013 resulted in the Tigers winning the SEC Championship and an appearance in the BCS National Championship game.
"I had a wonderful experience playing for Coach Lindsey," said Stidham. "His knowledge and ability to teach truly helped me develop as a player. We had great success together at Auburn, and I'm still utilizing his coaching principles in the NFL. I'm thrilled for Coach Lindsey and his family and I know he'll do a great job for UNC."
Lindsey returned to Auburn from Arizona State, where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2016. The Sun Devils started 5-1 (before losing three quarterbacks to injury), while running back Kalen Ballage tied an NCAA record scoring eight TDs in a 68-55 win over Texas Tech.
As offensive coordinator at Southern Miss from 2014-15, he developed Conference USA 2015 Offensive Player of the Year and NFL quarterback Nick Mullens, who ranked second in the league in passing yards (4,145) and TD passes (36) and ranked in the top eight nationally.
"Coach Lindsey is first and foremost a great man with a great family," said Mullens. "He's an excellent coach, who helped me develop into the player I am today. He does a great job of teaching quarterbacks and has the ability to help us understand not only what we were supposed to do but why w'ere doing it. I couldn't be happier for Coach Lindsey and his family. This is a great hire for UNC."
The Southern Miss offense broke five single-season school records in 2015: completions (312), passing yards (4,263), total offense yards (6,758), TDs (67) and points (528), as the Golden Eagles recorded nine wins, a Conference USA West title and a berth in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Washington.
Lindsey's 2015 Golden Eagle offense ranked fifth in the nation in total TDs, seventh in total points, eighth in total passing yards and completions and 12th in points per game and passing yards per game. The national leader with 102 explosive plays, Southern Miss was just the second school in FBS history with a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard rushers.
"North Carolina just hit a home run in the hiring of Chip Lindsey," said current Georgia OC and former USM Head Coach Todd Monken. "He was with me at Southern Miss and was instrumental in us getting that program back on track. He is a perfect fit to build off the success UNC has had and take it to another level."
Lindsey served as quarterbacks coach at Troy in 2010, following a long and distinguished career as a prep coach in Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia (1997-2009) in football and baseball. At Troy, he coached the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Corey Robinson and helped guide the Trojans to their fifth consecutive Sun Belt Championship. Robinson set a school record for completions (321) that season while his 3,726 passing yards rank as the second most in Troy history. The Trojans totaled the second most passing touchdowns (33) and most completions (340) in a season in school history.
**** Additional Note ****
In addition to the hires of new offensive coordinator and QBs coach Chip Lindsey and offensive line coach Randy Clements, Coach Brown has added pass game coordinator to Lonnie Galloway's title and run game coordinator to John Lilly's title.
"Coach Galloway and Coach Lilly have done amazing jobs for our program. Each one has excelled in their areas of responsibility and they are key assets to the success of our program. I'm very appreciative of their hard work, and as a result, they've earned these additions to their titles and job descriptions."
For up-to-date information on Carolina football, visit GoHeels.com/Football and follow us on Twitter (@UNCFootball), Instagram (@uncfootball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/TarHeelFootball).