'I Just Want To Be Happy': Chip Kelly Reveals Reason Behind Leaving UCLA For Ohio State
Perhaps the biggest question of the offseason, albeit being one of the latest: why Chip Kelly?
Why leave a Power Five head coaching job at UCLA, a future Big Ten program with potential big-time spending limits in the name, image and likeness game, to become Bill O'Brien's replacement as offensive coordinator for Ohio State?
Why work for a former protege in Ryan Day instead of running a program in an image designed by him?
In Kelly's words, he wanted to be happy again. Once he started calling plays again in his final game with the Bruins, it was evident he had found his zen.
Others were the first to notice.
“My wife remarked, ‘I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time,' " Kelly said Tuesday during his first press conference since becoming the Buckeye’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "To me, the best part of football is football, and so you got to do football and not do some of the things that are involved with the head coaching deal.”
Kelly, who spent six seasons with the Bruins, knew after quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson left to become Oregon State’s offensive coordinator that he'd have to call plays. On top of that, he was set to work with the quarterbacks.
It was there, in preparation for the LA Bowl matchup against Boise State, that Kelly found love again in football. Of course, he enjoyed being a head coach at Oregon, UCLA and two NFL stops, but coordinators are problem solvers.
Head coaches often are left working through recruiting visits and last-second meetings with boosters while coordinators and position coaches often are left with the nitty-gritty of working through the kinks with players.
It was after that week of preparation that Kelly made up his mind. He'd stick around with the Bruins so long as a high-profile coordinator didn't become available. If the NFL came knocking, he'd consider a switch.
Kelly was linked to multiple offensive coordinator jobs, including the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders. Neither went with the veteran coach.
Then came Ryan Day, who needed an immediate replacement following O'Brien's departure to Boston College.
“I just want to be happy, and I’m really happy coaching a position and really happy to be at this place," said Kelly.
Day and Kelly's relationship dates back to their time in New Hampshire. Both grew up in Manchester and later met as a quarterback-coach combo at the University of New Hampshire.
When Kelly was named head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he called Day to be his quarterbacks coach. The two also spent a season in the same roles with the San Francisco 49ers.
“We've been friends and we continue to be friends,” Day said of his new play-caller. “I owe much of where I'm at right now to him. And so this isn't about any of that, as opposed to a couple of guys part of a great program right now that are trying to go chase some great goals. And he's been great."
Kelly, 60, said the new version of a head coach in college football must emulate a CEO-type approach. Day, who enters a crucial year following three consecutive losses to Michigan, can now focus his attention away from the playbook.
That takes trust, relinquishing the reins after multiple years, but Kelly has earned the respect. His offense also has been one of college football's finest as the Bruins have averaged at least 27.5 points per contest each season under the playbook wiz.
Day will still have the final say in the offensive play design, including which passer wins the starting quarterback position. Kelly wouldn't have it any other way.
"Everything we do here is collaborative," said Kelly. "You know, the one thing that really struck me when I walked in this place is there's an amazing coaching staff here, and if you get a chance to talk to Larry Johnson just about football or Tim Walton or Jim Knowles or Brian Hartline, or any of these guys that are on the staff here, it's a very collaborative effort.
"We're all trying to make each other better and we're all trying to develop this team.”
Day doesn't consider Kelly his employer. Maybe they're not equals, but the Buckeyes head coach doesn't view himself over his former boss.
"He works with me. That’s just the way it’s always been," said Day. "I love him and have for a long time.”
As for Kelly, he seems comfortable in this new role, ready to make jokes and understand the irony of working for a former player.
“He makes me call him, ‘Sir,’ ” he lauded. “He said, ‘Can you do that Day 1?’ and I was like, ‘All right, Ry.’ ”
Ry, sir, coach, buddy; any name will do with Day so long as the Buckeyes remain contenders. Kelly was hired to call plays for a national championship-caliber offense — a goal both New Hampshire implants believe is more than capable of achieving.
"We’re fortunate to be around such a great program that has an unbelievable tradition at a place where we have what’s in place to reach our goals next year," said Day. "That’s what fires us both up, just like everybody on the staff as well.”
