San Francisco 49ers: Chip Kelly Lands at UCLA
By Andrew Bet
Chip Kelly is back in college football, as the former coach of the San Francisco 49ers will coach the UCLA Bruins next season.
Known for his up-tempo offense, Coach Kelly tried to implement his style with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. Kelly did achieve success with the Eagles at the beginning of his tenure. Unfortunately, the personnel decisions and defenses solving Kelly’s offense drove him out of Philly.
Kelly was fully aware of the rebuilding process happening with San Francisco. Instead of getting an opportunity to re-ignite the 49ers, he was dismissed after one season. His dismissal was just another example of Jed York not having a clue about running a football franchise. Jim Harbaugh could still be in San Francisco had York kept to just writing paychecks.
The coaching mindset of Kelly brought the Oregon Ducks to the national stage of college football. He formerly served as an offensive coordinator under Mike Bellotti for the Ducks before taking over for the 2009 season.
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After an underwhelming debut as head coach, Kelly regrouped and saw the Ducks win the Pac-10 title and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl. The following season saw Oregon go 12-0 and earn a trip to their first BCS National Championship game.
A victory in the 2012 Rose Bowl and 2013 Fiesta Bowl made Kelly a hot commodity amongst NFL teams.
Through the success of his high-flying offense, Kelly managed to recruit athletes in areas Oregon had been unsuccessful in the past. The state of Texas became a primary target for Kelly’s recruiting, which produced running back LaMichael James.
He even managed to pry De’Anthony Thomas away from USC as Kelly was having success in getting high school players from Los Angeles.
But perhaps his biggest recruit came after leaving for Philadelphia in Marcus Mariota. Oregon fans were disappointed Kelly went but grateful for the brilliance of Mariota. The quarterback became the first Oregon Duck ever to win the Heisman trophy and led the Ducks to the first-ever College Football Playoff Championship game.
Kelly’s success at the college level made him famous after leaving for the NFL. But a dark cloud lingered over him as the NCAA investigated Oregon over recruiting violations. Oregon avoided severe sanctions, and Kelly received a no-show clause, banning the coach from participating in college football for a few months.
A return to the collegiate level began last season, with Kelly’s name surfacing on coming back to Oregon. The Ducks were struggling to gain relevancy as Mark Helfrich lost control of the program and got fired after the 2016 season. He could have returned to Eugene but still had his mind set on another NFL opportunity.
Reports surfaced about Kelly in talks with becoming the coach at Florida. With a proven record as a college head coach, the Gators may have believed Kelly could get the program back to winning ways in the SEC.
UCLA let Jim Mora go and Kelly’s name surfaced as a possible replacement. His familiarity with the conference and ability to recruit in the region made him an ideal choice.
Florida appeared as the likely destination as Kelly is initially from the east coast. He got his start at New Hampshire before trekking west to Oregon. With a hotbed of talent in Florida, getting commits probably would not have been an issue.
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In-state recruiting was an issue for Kelly at Oregon as he looked outside the state to find athletes to fit his system.
In the end, Florida chose to look at different candidates, and UCLA agreed to deal with Kelly. The deal is for five years as the Bruins hope Kelly can turn the team into contenders for the Pac-12 and College Football Playoff.
Under Coach Mora, the Bruins had a prime opportunity to take over Los Angeles after USC got hit by the NCAA for violations. Coach Mora got decent recruits with a brand-new facility to help propel UCLA into the national spotlight.
Instead, all the talk and the type never turned to fruition as the Bruins remained dormant in the Pac-12. Injuries have hurt the team, but Mora’s inability to get the program over the hurdle into the national picture ultimately led to his dismissal.
Talk and hype will hopefully become a reality for UCLA under Kelly. A good recruiting class will undoubtedly come in for the Bruins, and Kelly could sway a few recruits his way from other Pac-12 schools. Josh Rosen may likely depart for the NFL, which will give Kelly a fresh start with a new quarterback next season.
Oregon fans may have difficulty stomaching seeing Kelly coach on the opposite sideline but should be forever grateful for what he did for the Ducks. The Ducks face the Bruins next season in Pasadena on November 3.
Before taking the UCLA job, Kelly served as an analyst on ESPN during college football games.
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College football should be entertaining next season in the Pac-12 with Chip Kelly back coaching. At least the Bruins will give Kelly time to implement his scheme as he retools the team unlike a sure owner on the 49ers.