San Francisco 49ers: Trust in Chip Kelly

New head coach Chip Kelly enters the San Francisco 49ers’ organization at a crossroads. The storied franchise is seeking a sixth Super Bowl, and Kelly is tasked with turning a 5-11 team last season into a contender.

His fast-pace offense will add flare to a team struggling to score in the red zone, and optimism remains under Kelly’s system. His college coaching success gives reasons to trust in his methods.

In 2009 in his first season as head coach of the Oregon Ducks, Kelly was faced with an immediate decision. Ducks running back LeGarrette Blount punched a Boise State player walking off the field after a 19-8 loss. The following result was Oregon announcing the suspension of Blount the rest of the season. It was not an easy choice but it was the right one.

Oregon Football was at a crossroads of becoming a powerhouse program and Kelly knew what was at stake. When Kelly became head coach he brought a philosophy that would forever change Oregon Football in the coming years.

Win the Day.

Days after suspending Blount, Kelly read to his players Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. After, he told the players to both grow and move on, or let one action be the downfall of the team. The early adversity bonded the team as Oregon would go on to win the Pac-10 title and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. Blount did return during the season after meeting the guidelines put in place under Kelly but saw limited action. The following season, Kelly led Oregon to an undefeated regular season and a trip to the BCS National Championship Game for the first time in school history.

The recruitment of athletes plugged in as receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks made Oregon’s high octane offense a site to see at Autzen Stadium. A drawback was on the defensive side. Size definitely was noticeable in their 2011 loss to Auburn in the title game, but was very much alive all game until a game winning field goal by Auburn in the finals seconds.

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Ultimately, Kelly’s leadership was critical in the success. The players trusted and bought into his system. He took many chances on fourth-and-long, yielding positive results. He didn’t second guess himself on play calling, which drew the respect of other coaches in the conference.

Kelly’s success drew the interest of NFL teams, where the Philadelphia Eagles ultimately lured him as head coach after Oregon’s win in the Fiesta Bowl. Optimism and questions immediately came with Kelly into how his up-tempo offense could work in the NFL. He answered the call by getting the Eagles into the playoffs. However, the personnel decisions and off-field distractions led to his dismissal.

Having grown from his first experience as an NFL coach, Kelly is now assigned with the task of returning the San Francisco 49ers back to winning ways. Kelly may not have been 49ers’ head coach if Jed York saw what he had with Jim Harbaugh, but feels the up-tempo style will spark the 49ers’ offense.

This 49ers’ team will be different from the times of Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Jerry Rice producing Super Bowls. The ideologies of Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense will remain, but have the flare of Kelly’s elements. Expect Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, or whoever at starting quarterback to quickly get to the line, call the play, execute, and repeat. Growing pains will take place throughout the season. 49ers’ fans need to have patience and trust in the process of Kelly’s offensive style to see results.

Offensively, the 49ers have their primary weapon at running back with Carlos Hyde. As long as Hyde remains healthy during the season, expect him to flourish under Kelly’s system. At receiver, Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington are two players whose speed helps them. If the 49ers’ offense can click early and Kaepernick and Hyde can keep the defense guessing, the field will open up for the two receivers to make huge plays. A player to potentially look for in Kelly’s system is undrafted free agent Devon Cajuste out of Stanford. Cajuste has been a solid player for the Cardinal and is familiar with Kelly having played Oregon in Pac-12 conference play.

Despite the high volume of points on the board offensively, defense has always been a question under Kelly. The opposing team piles up big numbers of offense, but the up-tempo offense ultimately wears down opponents. Expect the 49ers’ defense to be relentless with former Ducks Arik Armstead and rookie DeForest Buckner, first round picks in 2015 and 2016, respectively. With veterans NaVorro Bowman and Glenn Dorsey also up front, with Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea anchoring the backfield, the defense looks poised to pressure the quarterback and force turnovers.

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The philosophy of “Win the Day” has been carried over since Kelly’s tenure at Oregon. No matter where he has gone, his impact was felt. 49er fans, critics, and skeptics need to trust in what Kelly plans to do with the team. Fast, hard, finish is what Kelly expects from his players. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what the stats say, as long as the 49ers have the most points on the scoreboard, Kelly is satisfied.