Big Ten foe Ohio State is reportedly making a big hire for their offensive coordinator position in UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Kelly spent the past six seasons from 2018-23 as the head coach of the Bruins, accruing a record of 35-34 overall and 26-26 in the Pac-12. His first three seasons finished below .500, but he went 25-13 overall and 16-11 in the Pac-12, with three straight bowl appearances and a win in the LA Bowl over the Boise State Broncos last season.
Thamel reported that Kelly will take over from Bill O’Brien, who is likely to take the head coaching job at Boston College. O’Brien took over the offensive coordinator position at Ohio State on Jan. 19, staying just three weeks before leaving for a head coaching position. This is his second head coaching job at the collegiate level, spending two seasons as head coach of Penn State in 2012 and 2013.
Kelly spent time this offseason interviewing for different coaching positions in the NFL, including the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator position, but didn’t manage to land a job.
He will join back up with Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, as both hail from the state of New Hampshire. Kelly played defensive back for New Hampshire from 1981-84 and spent 14 seasons in a variety of coaching roles there in the 1990s and 2000s.
Kelly worked as New Hampshire offensive coordinator from 1999-2006 and coached Day, who started at quarterback for the school from 1998-2001, setting records with 653Â pass completions, 53 touchdown passes, 59.9% completion of his passes and 8,492 yards of total offense.
Throughout his time in football, Kelly has worked in a variety of roles, including head coach of Oregon from 2009-12, the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-15 and the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. Day worked under Kelly with the Eagles in 2015 and the 49ers in 2016, both as quarterbacks coach.
