Chip Kelly lambasted after demotion to get away from UCLA train wreck
Chip Kelly shook the Big Ten and college football world on Friday afternoon when he stepped down from his job as the head coach of UCLA and took the job as offensive coordinator at Ohio State. No, he wasn't fired.
It doesn't appear that he was even pushed out the door. He simply didn't want to be the head coach of the Bruins anymore. After spending the last month or two desperately trying to find a job in the NFL, he took Plan Z.
When Bill O'Brien was hired away from Ohio State to be the head coach at Boston College, the Buckeyes moved quickly. Or Chip Kelly moved quickly. It's not entirely clear who contacted whom.
Within an hour of O'Brien going to B.C., Kelly told UCLA players and staff that he was headed to Columbus. Unsurprisingly, his decision to take a demotion raised eyebrows. It was a nearly unheard-of move.
A Power 5 head coach was voluntarily stepping down for a demotion. When it looked like Kelly might be going to the NFL for a coordinator role, it made some sense. He looked like he just wanted to get back to the pros. But stepping down for a demotion?
On Friday night, social media showed that Chip Kelly did not have a lot of support for the job he did with the Bruins. Or the idea that he gave up and left for a lower-tier position. Even if it was for Ohio State.
Chip Kelly lambasted after demotion to get away from UCLA train wreck
Leaving Los Angeles to hide out in Ohio. Moves saved for offensive geniuses like Chip Kelly and Dave Chappelle.
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) February 9, 2024
At UCLA, Chip Kelly was a deadly combination of arrogance & laziness. Refused to recruit, engage donors or fan base, didn't do NIL.
— Friend of the Program (@TheFOTP) February 9, 2024
Smartest guy in the room went .500 in 6 seasons, never sniffed a league title and had a single bowl win.
Good riddance.
#8Clap #UCLA
You're going to read a lot of narratives about why Chip Kelly is leaving (budget, NIL, etc.) but here's why:
— David Woods (@daviddavidwoods) February 9, 2024
He created the worst UCLA football tenure in the modern era, recruited from 2018 on like he was at Indiana, and didn't work very hard. He cratered the job.
This is the most fitting way for UCLA’s Chip Kelly era to end.
— Sam Connon (@SamConnon) February 9, 2024
One of the the least productive, least revered coaches in program history is jumping ship on a Friday in February. On top of that, he did it to chase a smaller paycheck and less responsibility.
Pure comedy.
One thing was clear when Chip Kelly cleaned out his UCLA office on Friday evening. Most Bruin fans were happy to see him go. Perhaps more importantly, most members of the media who cover the school were not remotely sorry to see him go.