Chip Kelly Gets Candid on Decision to Leave Ohio State

Chip Kelly has provided an explanation on his decision to leave the Ohio State Buckeyes for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes have witnessed a mass exodus from their coaching staff after winning the national championship, and one of the departing coaches was offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

Kelly decided to take his talents back to the NFL, accepting the Las Vegas Raiders' offensive coordinator job.

The 61-year-old lasted just one year in Columbus before returning to the professional ranks, but he simply could not pass up the opportunity provided to him.

“I talked to two places really that they were aligned from their ownership to their general manager, personnel and head coach, and everybody was on the same page. And I was dealing from a position of strength because I had a really, really good job with really, really good people,” Kelly said on The Audible podcast. “And so it had to be a better opportunity for myself and (his wife) Jill to say, ‘Hey, are we going to take a look at this?’"

So, clearly, Kelly was not in any rush to leave Ohio State. He loved his time with the Buckeyes. But, the NFL will almost always take precedence.

“The one thing about the NFL that I love is it's the ultimate level of competition. It's football at the highest level," Kelly explained. "And you have to go against the best and the brightest from a coaching standpoint and a playing standpoint, and that challenge of trying to be the best team and be the world champ is a pretty cool deal."

This will mark Kelly's third stint with an NFL team, as he also served as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. He was mostly unsuccessful in both jobs, but now with the Raiders, Kelly will get the chance to do what he does best: call offensive plays.

We'll see how he handles the new—but familiar—challenge.