The Ohio State Buckeyes quickly pivoted after losing offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to Boston College, reportedly hiring former Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly to fill the position, according to multiple reports.
The move is packed with intrigue as Kelly resigned his position as head coach of the UCLA Bruins shortly before reports emerged about his expected Columbus move, according to Sports Illustrated.
To add to the strangeness, Kelly will reportedly be replacing Bill O’Brien, who accepted the position just three weeks before leaving to become head coach of the Boston College program, according to ESPN. (RELATED: Former Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer Reportedly Rejoining Cowboys In Heartwarming Full Circle Moment)
Kelly coached current Ohio State head coach Ryan Day at the University of New Hampshire, where Day served as Kelly’s quarterback from 1998-2001, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
BREAKING: UCLA’s Chip Kelly is expected to become the new OC at Ohio State, per source. Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day played for Kelly at UNH and later coached with him at three stops. https://t.co/PDDOB76rDq
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 9, 2024
Kelly falls into the mold of offensive masterminds who stunk as full-fledged NFL head coaches. He has a stellar college career, boasting an 81-41 career record in 10 seasons coaching the Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins, per Sports Reference.
But his NFL stints have been largely failures. His stint as the Eagles skipper started off hot with back-to-back 10-win seasons but his tenure ended unceremoniously when the Eagles fired him before the end of the season.
He went on to coach the San Francisco 49ers for a season that went horribly as the 9ers only won two games and fired Kelly at the season’s end.