Social media was abuzz Friday when news broke that Chip Kelly was expected to step down as head coach at UCLA to become offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
The move by Kelly is the latest to cause more than a few heads to turn. Just over a week ago, Jeff Hafley surprised many when he stepped down as head coach at Boston College to accept a position as defensive coordinator for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.
The two moves are indirectly tied together. At Ohio State, Kelly will replace Bill O’Brien, who had been hired by Ryan Day to become the Buckeyes’ new offensive coordinator just three weeks earlier. O’Brien agreed to become the new head coach at Boston College on Friday.
O’Brien spent the 2023 season as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots after two seasons in the same role at Alabama from 2021-2022.
Kelly, meanwhile, had been head coach at UCLA since 2018. He led the Bruins to just three bowl appearances in six seasons, including the 2023 LA Bowl at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. UCLA defeated Boise State in that game, 35-22.
There’s been plenty of discourse as to why Kelly made the move. Here’s how Twitter/X users reacted to the news of Kelly’s transition from UCLA head coach to Ohio State offensive coordinator.