Chip Kelly Rumors: Oregon Asks Permission To Interview UCLA Coach, Report Says | Local News

Chip Kelly could make a comeback in Oregon.

The university has asked UCLA for permission to interview Kelly, who is currently the Bruins’ head coach, for the vacant Ducks coaching position, Oregon’s John Canzano reported Thursday. The report came three days after Mario Cristobal left Oregon for Miami, Florida.

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Canzano speculated on Twitter that Oregon’s interest in Kelly indicates that the athletic program may be interested in returning to its “comfort zone.”

Kelly was Oregon’s offensive coordinator in 2007 and 2008 before being promoted to head coach in 2009. In four seasons at the helm of the Ducks, his teams have gone 46-7, winning three consecutive Pac Conference championships. -12 and reached the 2011 BCS National Championship game against Auburn.

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Kelly, 58, used her college success to move on to the NFL. He coached the Eagles from 2013 to 2015 before being fired. He was the head coach of the 49ers for the 2016 season, again before being fired. He’s 28-35 overall with a pro playoff berth.

Kelly is 18-25 in four seasons at UCLA, but he produced his best season with the program in 2021 as the Bruins finished 8-4 (6-3 Pac-12). They will play in the Holiday Bowl against NC State on December 28.

The Los Angeles Daily News reported when Kelly was hired by UCLA in 2018 that Kelly must pay a buyout of $ 9 million if he leaves for another program within the first four years of his contract. His fourth year of contract at UCLA ends Jan. 15, 2022. The college must pay the buyout if it fires him “without cause” during that time. Kelly signed a five-year, $ 23.3 million contract with UCLA in December 2017.

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