The Wildcats will be looking for a new OL coach in the coming weeks.
One of Northwestern's strongest position groups this season will be led by a different face in 2026.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, San Diego State is hiring Bill O'Boyle as its offensive line coach. O'Boyle spent the past two seasons in the same role with the Wildcats.
The hiring is a reunion between O'Boyle and Aztecs head coach Sean Lewis, who just concluded his second season in southern California. O'Boyle served as Kent State's offensive line coach from 2018 to 2022 while Lewis was the head coach. The two were subsequently hired under Deion Sanders at Colorado, with Lewis working as the offensive coordinator and O'Boyle as the Buffaloes' OL coach.
When Lewis joined the Aztecs in 2024, O'Boyle instead went to Northwestern. The 'Cats struggled mightily outside of Caleb Tiernan in O'Boyle's first season, but the 2025 campaign went much better for Northwestern's offensive line. O'Boyle's group experienced much more stability as the same five players started NU's last 11 games.
Pro Football Focus graded Northwestern as the 10th-best pass-blocking team and 15th-best run-blocking team in the nation in 2025, up from 58th and 80th in 2024, respectively. The Wildcats' starters — Tiernan, Ezomo Oratokhai, Jackson Carsello, Evan Beerntsen and Martes Lewis — were responsible for allowing just 10 combined sacks while also powering Caleb Komolafe to 941 rushing yards.
Three of those starters landed on an All-Big Ten team after the regular season. Tiernan was named to the Second Team by the coaches and an Honorable Mention by the media, and Beerntsen was an Honorable Mention to both teams. Oratokhai was a coaches' All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and earned Freshman All-American honors from The Athletic.
O'Boyle's departure is a big hit for the 'Cats, but an offensive shakeup was not unexpected. Tuesday morning's news that Northwestern had replaced offensive coordinator Zach Lujan with Chip Kelly meant that more coaching changes were on the way as Kelly brings in the necessary staff to fit his system.
Additionally, while O'Boyle will certainly be missed, the Wildcats may have a replacement in-house. Northwestern brought on Ryan Olson as a run game specialist and offensive assistant last January, and the former South Dakota State OC effectively served as NU's second offensive line coach this fall. Olson was named to the American Football Coaches Association's 35 Under 35 list for 2025 and received loads of praise from David Braun throughout the season.
In San Diego State, O'Boyle will be joining a team making the jump from the Mountain West to the new Pac-12 in 2026.