UCLA Football: Chip Kelly Potentially Leaving Bruins for NFL Position
The ongoing saga between Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins football program has continued to fester into the new year.
Over the last few months, we've seen several -- shall we say -- fascinating developments revolving around the football program. This includes a disgruntled swath of the fan base wanting a coaching change immediately.
According to a report from CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Jones, those fans might be getting their wish.
Jones reported Sunday morning that Kelly was drawing interest from multiple NFL teams looking for an offensive coordinator. This was specifically written in the report:
"Multiple sources tell CBS Sports that UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has been mentioned as a possible offensive coordinator by multiple head-coaching candidates this cycle, and multiple teams have started due diligence on the former Eagles and 49ers head coach for their potential offensive coordinator vacancy," Jones writes.
Kelly has had mixed success in the ranks of professional football. He left his cushy job at Oregon to take the Philadelphia Eagles head coaching job. Kelly led the Eagles to back-to-back 10-win seasons. In year three, things fell apart. The Eagles had a 6-9 record when Kelly was fired.
He then hopped to San Francisco for a disastrous one-year stint. The 49ers went 2-14, and Kelly unceremoniously was let go of his job.
Historically speaking, Kelly has built a reputation as being a revolutionary offensive mind. He instituted a riff on the blur offense, where his teams systematically dismantled the opposition with tempo, organization, creativity, and aggressiveness. We saw that a bit in the NFL, and those in Westwood were expecting a similar scheme upon landing with the Bruins.
As is the case with most people in any profession, Kelly has evolved. UCLA has not mimicked the offense Kelly had in Eugene. On the contrary -- it's morphed into more of a pro-style offense with some spread elements.
If Kelly were to leave for an NFL job, it would place UCLA in a very tough spot. Jedd Fisch would've been an ideal candidate to go after had Kelly been let go over a month ago. Now, that potential possibility is out the proverbial window with Fisch taking the Washington job.
Athletic di Martin Jarmond would have to theoretically hire an interim coach with the Bruins set to enter the Big Ten. The possibility of losing both preexisting players on the roster as well as incoming recruits would be real.
With the portal coming to a close for now, UCLA also wouldn't be able to go and rebuild a roster with a new coach that way. It would have to wait until after spring football to operate in that manner.
Suffice it to say, but this has the potential to be a rather sticky situation.
