Paul Creighton joined Northwestern's staff ahead of the 2024 season. He previously worked the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Washington as a special teams quality control coach, where the Huskies posted a 25-3 record and played in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship game.
While serving as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach in 2025, Creighton saw three players earn All-Big Ten honors in Luke Akers (punter), Jack Olsen (kicker) and Hunter Welcing (tight end). Northwestern ranked fifth in the Big Ten in net punting (39.68), as Akers booted nine punts over 50 yards and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line on nine separate occasions. Olsen made 19 field goals on the season–tied for fourth in Wildcats history– and his 90.5% field goal percentage ranked Top-10 in the country and fourth in the Northwestern record book. Welcing stepped up to become Northwestern's top pass catcher at the tight end position, logging 27 receptions for 283 receiving yards (most by an NU tight end since 2017) and two receiving touchdowns.Â
In 2024, Creighton led a special teams unit that posted 15.2 yards per punt return, which ranked second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally. Joseph Himon II tallied 24.0 yards per kick return, which ranked third in the conference and 24th nationally, and was the highest season average by a Northwestern kick returner (min. 20 returns) since 2016. The team blocked a total of four kicks (three field goals, one punt), with the three blocked field goals ranking second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.
During the 2023 season, Creighton was part of a Washington staff that coached the Huskies to a 14-1 record with a Pac-12 Championship and a victory over No. 3 Texas in the College Football Playoff Semifinal in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Huskies' special teams ranked 12th in kickoff return defense, as well as 14th in punt return defense. It marked the second straight season under Creighton in which the Huskies ranked top three in the Pac 12 and top 50 in the nation in both categories.
Prior to his stint at Washington, Creighton was the tight ends coach at Fresno State during the 2020 and 2021 seasons under head coach Kalen DeBoer. In 2021, he was part of the offensive staff that helped Fresno State finish the season ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West in total offense (464.8 yards per game), and second in both scoring offense (33.4 points per game) and passing offense (330.1 yards per game).
The Bulldogs also led the conference in total offense during the 2020 season, averaging 479.3 yards of total offense per game to go along with the league's second-highest points per game total (32.8). Fresno State also led the Mountain West and was fifth in the nation in passing yards per game, with 356.3 per game.
Before joining DeBoer's staff at Fresno State, Creighton spent the previous six years as tight ends coach at UC Davis from 2014-19, during which he also served as the recruiting coordinator (2014-16) and special teams coordinator (2017-19) for the Aggies.
In 2019, Creighton helped UC Davis tight end Wes Preece earn a spot on Phil Steele's All-America third team in 2019, as well a claiming three consecutive All-Big Sky honors. Preece became just the third tight end in program history to record over 100 career receptions while his 24 career touchdowns remain a school record for the position.
UC Davis turned in its most successful season as a Division I team in 2018, posting a 10-3 record en route to winning its first Big Sky championship while securing its first FCS playoff berth in program history.
Prior to UC Davis, Creighton coached at Colorado State University-Pueblo for three seasons (2011-13) as defensive line coach. CSU-Pueblo went 33-0 in the regular season during his three years working with the defensive line. During his time with the Thunderwolves, Creighton mentored three athletes who went on to play professional football: Darius Allen (BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos), Morgan Fox (Los Angeles Rams) and Mike Pennel (Green Bay, New York Jets).
A three-sport star at Niwot High School in Colorado, Creighton walked on at Colorado, playing fullback and tight end, and earned a scholarship after one semester. He saw action in 47 games during his CU playing career and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in psychology from Boulder in 2006.
Creighton's first post-graduation move was to Auburn where he served two years as graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. He returned to Colorado in 2009, where he was a defensive graduate assistant for two seasons at his alma mater.
Paul and his wife, Kathleen, have two children, June and James.
"We are thrilled to welcome Paul Creighton to our coaching staff. Paul is a proven winner that has had success at every stop of his coaching career. He will be a tremendous asset to our special teams unit and tight ends room, and I can't wait to see how he contributes to the overall growth and success of our players."
– Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun
"Thank you to Coach Braun for this opportunity, and for welcoming me into the program. I've long admired Coach Braun's work ethic and passion toward the game, and I'm thrilled to be a part of this staff. I'm excited to work with such a talented group of student-athletes that strive for excellence–both on and off the field–and can't wait to get started with spring ball."
– Special Teams Coordinator & Tight Ends Coach Paul Creighton
While serving as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach in 2025, Creighton saw three players earn All-Big Ten honors in Luke Akers (punter), Jack Olsen (kicker) and Hunter Welcing (tight end). Northwestern ranked fifth in the Big Ten in net punting (39.68), as Akers booted nine punts over 50 yards and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line on nine separate occasions. Olsen made 19 field goals on the season–tied for fourth in Wildcats history– and his 90.5% field goal percentage ranked Top-10 in the country and fourth in the Northwestern record book. Welcing stepped up to become Northwestern's top pass catcher at the tight end position, logging 27 receptions for 283 receiving yards (most by an NU tight end since 2017) and two receiving touchdowns.Â
In 2024, Creighton led a special teams unit that posted 15.2 yards per punt return, which ranked second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally. Joseph Himon II tallied 24.0 yards per kick return, which ranked third in the conference and 24th nationally, and was the highest season average by a Northwestern kick returner (min. 20 returns) since 2016. The team blocked a total of four kicks (three field goals, one punt), with the three blocked field goals ranking second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.
During the 2023 season, Creighton was part of a Washington staff that coached the Huskies to a 14-1 record with a Pac-12 Championship and a victory over No. 3 Texas in the College Football Playoff Semifinal in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Huskies' special teams ranked 12th in kickoff return defense, as well as 14th in punt return defense. It marked the second straight season under Creighton in which the Huskies ranked top three in the Pac 12 and top 50 in the nation in both categories.
Prior to his stint at Washington, Creighton was the tight ends coach at Fresno State during the 2020 and 2021 seasons under head coach Kalen DeBoer. In 2021, he was part of the offensive staff that helped Fresno State finish the season ranked No. 1 in the Mountain West in total offense (464.8 yards per game), and second in both scoring offense (33.4 points per game) and passing offense (330.1 yards per game).
The Bulldogs also led the conference in total offense during the 2020 season, averaging 479.3 yards of total offense per game to go along with the league's second-highest points per game total (32.8). Fresno State also led the Mountain West and was fifth in the nation in passing yards per game, with 356.3 per game.
Before joining DeBoer's staff at Fresno State, Creighton spent the previous six years as tight ends coach at UC Davis from 2014-19, during which he also served as the recruiting coordinator (2014-16) and special teams coordinator (2017-19) for the Aggies.
In 2019, Creighton helped UC Davis tight end Wes Preece earn a spot on Phil Steele's All-America third team in 2019, as well a claiming three consecutive All-Big Sky honors. Preece became just the third tight end in program history to record over 100 career receptions while his 24 career touchdowns remain a school record for the position.
UC Davis turned in its most successful season as a Division I team in 2018, posting a 10-3 record en route to winning its first Big Sky championship while securing its first FCS playoff berth in program history.
Prior to UC Davis, Creighton coached at Colorado State University-Pueblo for three seasons (2011-13) as defensive line coach. CSU-Pueblo went 33-0 in the regular season during his three years working with the defensive line. During his time with the Thunderwolves, Creighton mentored three athletes who went on to play professional football: Darius Allen (BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos), Morgan Fox (Los Angeles Rams) and Mike Pennel (Green Bay, New York Jets).
A three-sport star at Niwot High School in Colorado, Creighton walked on at Colorado, playing fullback and tight end, and earned a scholarship after one semester. He saw action in 47 games during his CU playing career and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in psychology from Boulder in 2006.
Creighton's first post-graduation move was to Auburn where he served two years as graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. He returned to Colorado in 2009, where he was a defensive graduate assistant for two seasons at his alma mater.
Paul and his wife, Kathleen, have two children, June and James.
Quotables:
"We are thrilled to welcome Paul Creighton to our coaching staff. Paul is a proven winner that has had success at every stop of his coaching career. He will be a tremendous asset to our special teams unit and tight ends room, and I can't wait to see how he contributes to the overall growth and success of our players."– Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun
"Thank you to Coach Braun for this opportunity, and for welcoming me into the program. I've long admired Coach Braun's work ethic and passion toward the game, and I'm thrilled to be a part of this staff. I'm excited to work with such a talented group of student-athletes that strive for excellence–both on and off the field–and can't wait to get started with spring ball."
– Special Teams Coordinator & Tight Ends Coach Paul Creighton