Another sitting head coach is leaving his post to become an assistant at another school. This time it doesn’t involve a Group of Five school but Chip Kelly leaving one Big Ten school for another.
Multiple outlets are reporting that Kelly will leave UCLA as the head coach to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Current Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day played for Chip Kelly at the University of New Hampshire.
Less than 48 hours since National Signing Day came to a close, the UCLA Bruins will be on the hunt for a new head coach. Kelly on the other hand will inherit an offense full of top-tier talent and five-star wide receivers.
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
It seemed that Kelly was interested in leaving UCLA at every turn. He was interested in returning to the NFL as a coordinator but missed out on a few opportunities. With Bill O’Brien leaving for Boston College per reports, this opened a spot with Ohio State.
UCLA is set to join the Big Ten as of Jul. 1, 2024, but the Bruins are not on the Buckeyes schedule next season. If they are to face off with Kelly on the opposite sideline, it would have to come in the Big Ten title game.
UCLA is now in the unenviable position of looking for a head coach with spring football just months away.