Why surprising college football powerhouse makes sense for Chip Kelly

Chip Kelly’s days at UCLA may be winding down. Could he end up with a college football powerhouse?

Kelly has been throwing his hat into the ring for several NFL offensive coordinator jobs. While he did not get hired by the Las Vegas Raiders nor the Washington Commanders, it seems that he is a candidate for the Seattle Seahawks job.

If Kelly does not end up in Seattle, it seems like Ohio State could be a possibility for the Bruins head coach.

Ohio State hired Bill O’Brien as their offensive coordinator in January. However, O’Brien’s stint with the Buckeyes could be short-lived.

O’Brien is a candidate for the Boston College head coach job, which became vacant after Jeff Hafley took the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator position. If O’Brien leaves Ohio State for BC, Kelly could leave UCLA to fill the Ohio State offensive coordinator spot.

Kelly and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day go way back, making them a potentially perfect match. Kelly was a coach at the University of New Hampshire when Day played quarterback there from 1998-2001. Day was a coach on Kelly’s staffs with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers in the NFL before being hired by Ohio State in 2017.

Kelly signed a 4-year contract extension a year ago. According to terms of the deal, Kelly would owe UCLA $1.5 million if he were to leave the job prior to the 2025 season.

The 60-year-old coach has gone 35-34 in six seasons at UCLA, including 25-13 over the last three seasons. But many Bruins fans have grown dissatisfied with Kelly — especially over his apparent lack of recruiting efforts.