Tag: Chip Kelly

Reports: USF hires Ohio State OC Brian Hartline as coach

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Brian Hartline is near a deal to become head coach at USF but is delaying formally filling the role until after No. 1 Ohio State competes in the College Football Playoff.

According to multiple reports, Hartline accepted the position on Wednesday and was hoping to convince co-offensive coordinator Keenan Bailey to join him in Tampa.

USF coach Alex Golesh was named head coach at Auburn on Sunday.

“Brian has been successful in every football capacity for which he has been engaged,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said in 2024.

Day said Hartline “recruited as well or better than anyone in the country” when elevated from a position coach to a co-coordinator role two years ago.

The 39-year-old Hartline was a wide receiver at Ohio State and seven seasons in the NFL, but has never been a head coach at any level. An assistant coach for the Buckeyes since 2017, he was promoted to become a first-time offensive coordinator prior to the 2025 season when Chip Kelly left to join the Las Vegas Raiders.

Hartline also continued his role coaching wide receivers. Under his watch, the Buckeyes have had five first-round NFL draft picks in the past four years – Chris Olave (2022), Garrett Wilson (2022), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2023), Marvin Harrison Jr. (2024) and Emeka Egbuka (2025).

“Brian did some of his best coaching this past season,” Day said in February, when Hartline was promoted from the role of co-offensive coordinator to replace Chip Kelly. “His loyalty and patience are going to pay off, and I think he’s going to be the best coordinator in the country.”

Bailey was an offensive intern working with Ohio State’s wide receivers in 2017 when Hartline was hired as a quality control coach working with the same position.

Bailey has been an Ohio State assistant for eight seasons and is from Pompano Beach, Fla.

Losing Hartline, and possibly Bailey, could open the door for Day to bring back Kelly. Kelly coached Day at New Hampshire and they remain in close contact after the Raiders fired Kelly as offensive coordinator last month.

–Field Level Media

Raiders’ Pete Carroll confesses to run-game disconnect with Chip Kelly

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Raiders head coach Pete Carroll made what he views as an unprecedented move firing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to avoid further disconnection among offensive personnel.

“We gave our guys a lot of leeway because of the respect we have for the coaches. But it just hasn’t quite gotten right,” Carroll said Monday. “I think we can do better.”

The Raiders averaged 3.6 yards per play over the past three games.

After never firing a coordinator during the season in his NFL tenure, Carroll has now fired the league’s highest-paid offensive coordinator (Kelly) and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon in a three-week span.

Greg Olson will be interim offensive coordinator. It’s the third time he’s been the play-caller for the Raiders (2013-14, 2018-2021). Olson has 13 years experience as a play-caller in the NFL. Carroll said their background helps him trust the offense will follow his preferences and philosophy.

Pressed for more details, Carroll said his winning formula hasn’t been captured yet. Carroll said it was “too painful” to stick with his coordinators because he knows there’s more talent and potential than the Raiders have shown.

“He’s deep into what I’m looking for,” Carroll said. “We need to run the ball better. We need to have the running game available to us. When you need it — short yardage, red zone, goal line, fourth quarter — all of those times you historically need to call on it. It’s a winning formula if you play good defense and kick the ball well.”

Carroll admitted there was some disconnect between his ideal play-calling and game plan and what Kelly was pushing to execute.

“We wanted to give him his due and all that. We just couldn’t get there,” Carroll said.

“He’s been a phenomenal coach. His past is extraordinary with all of the things he’s accomplished,” Carroll said. “At this time, we weren’t taking the next step. We were staying the same, staying the same. It wasn’t good enough for our fans and for the guys so that’s why we made the move.”

Kelly isn’t the only one at fault, Carroll reiterated on Monday, saying the plans for the week weren’t good enough on either side of the ball.

“We’ve got the guys we’ve got,” Carroll said of personnel. “So we’ve got to make them the best we can possibly make them. Take advantage of their strengths and attempt to get rid of their weaknesses. The communication on our staff and with our coaches will be really clear.”

–Field Level Media

Raiders fire offensive coordinator Chip Kelly

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The Las Vegas Raiders fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, the team announced on Sunday night after a 24-10 home loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Kelly lasted just 11 games in his return to the NFL.

“I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders,” head coach Pete Carroll, in his first season with Las Vegas, said in a statement after team fell to 2-9. “I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.”

Las Vegas ranked 30th in points, total yards, rushing yards, offensive EPA and red-zone efficiency entering Week 12 under Kelly. Veteran quarterback Geno Smith has regressed with the Raiders after his resurgence in Seattle, throwing 13 interceptions along with 13 TDs through 10 games this year after tossing 15 picks in 17 contests last season. Smith was 30 of 44 for 285 yards with one TD and no picks, but he also was sacked 10 times.

Kelly, who turns 62 on Tuesday, talked to NFL reporter Jay Glazer after the game that the team has not won enough for him to keep his job.

“I am grateful for the opportunity with the Raiders; bottom line in this league you have to win,” Kelly said. “I really loved those players. I’m a huge, huge Geno Smith fan. That was one of the best parts of this experience for me, working with Geno and those guys every day.

“But hey, we gotta win. I get it.”

Prized rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has averaged just 3.6 yards per carry. He had 17 rushes for 50 yards, a 2.9 average, on Sunday.

Kelly landed in Las Vegas after last appearing on an NFL sideline with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. The Niners went 2-14 with Kelly at the helm. He also coached the Philadelphia Eagles during a near-three-season stint, which ended in 2015 with the Eagles sitting at 6-9. His overall NFL head coaching record is 28-35.

But Kelly regained his footing in the collegiate ranks, spending six seasons as UCLA’s head coach before helping Ohio State win a national title last campaign as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator.

Kelly parlayed that success into a reported $6-million average annual salary with Las Vegas, which would make him the highest paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. But Kelly couldn’t make it past Week 12 as Las Vegas compiled just 268 total yards in the setback to Cleveland.

The move comes less than two weeks after Carroll said he and Kelly are “always working to continue to grow together as much as we can and be representative,” and after he credited the soon-to-be 62-year-old for having “a world of experience that I’ve counted on throughout.”

Kelly isn’t the first of Carroll’s assistants to fail to make it through a nightmarish season for the Raiders, who now sit at 2-9. Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon got the boot on Nov. 7.

–Field Level Media

Aug 26, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (L) talks to former NFL player Tom Brady (R) before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Raiders coach Pete Carroll confirms Tom Brady in regular contact

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When the owner calls, head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly pick up, especially when the minority owner of the Raiders is Tom Brady.

Brady, approved as part of the ownership group in Las Vegas in October 2024, sat in the coaching box at the Raiders’ home stadium with a headset on Monday night. When the ESPN broadcast team for the “Monday Night Football” audience shared that Brady regularly discusses the game plan and film review with Kelly, Carroll was asked postgame if it’s true the seven-time Super Bowl champ meets with Kelly multiple times a week.

“That’s not accurate,” Carroll said. “That’s not accurate. That’s not accurate. We have conversations. I talk to Tom, Chip talks to Tom. Regularly. I mean, we have a tremendous asset. And so we all get along well, we respect each other. And so we talk about life and football and whatever it comes. And he has great insight. So we’re lucky to have him as an owner.”

NFL owners approved lighter measures for Brady to meet with other coaches and players in production meetings as part of his role with Fox. Those meetings are required to be remote when Brady is involved, as he’s not permitted to attend practices held at team facilities.

Brady will be on the broadcast team on Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys face the Chicago Bears, whom the Raiders play in Las Vegas the following week.

This past weekend, Brady was in Kansas City to broadcast the Super Bowl rematch between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Those teams are also on the Raiders’ schedule this season.

In Week 1, Brady was part of Fox’s broadcast of the New York Giants’ game against the Washington Commanders, who will host the Raiders on Sunday.

Las Vegas lost 20-9 to the Chargers on Monday.

–Field Level Media

Nov 25, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly watches from the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the California Golden Bears at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Chip Kelly departs UCLA after 6 seasons

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UCLA’s debut in the Big Ten Conference next season also will come with a new head coach after Chip Kelly informed Bruins players Friday that he is leaving the program and the university later announced his departure.

Reports also indicate that Kelly is leaving UCLA after six seasons to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State under head coach Ryan Day, a longtime friend. Kelly was the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire when Day was the quarterback there from 1998-2001.

“I want to sincerely thank Chip for his service to UCLA Football and our student-athletes across the past six seasons and wish the best to him and his wife Jill moving forward,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a news release Friday.

Unlike Kelly’s time as the head coach at Oregon, when he went 46-7 from 2009-12, Kelly’s tenure at UCLA was far less impressive. Kelly’s Bruins teams went 35-34 and the team played in just two bowl games, winning the LA Bowl in December, 35-22 over Boise State.

While Kelly was on the hot seat over his mediocre results, the UCLA athletic department gave the coach a vote of confidence just after Thanksgiving, complimenting Kelly’s strong culture.

Kelly also has NFL experience, leaving Oregon to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-15 and the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. Day was Kelly’s quarterbacks coach at San Francisco.

UCLA is not scheduled to face Ohio State in its inaugural run next season in the Big Ten, but the teams are set to face each other in 2025 at Columbus, Ohio.

UCLA is moving to the Big Ten along with rival Southern California. Pac-12 powers Washington and Oregon also are leaving for the Big Ten.

–Field Level Media

Dec 3, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien talks with quarterback Bailey Zappe (4) as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Bill O’Brien heading to Boston College as head coach

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Former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien and Boston College reportedly are putting the finishing touches on a deal to make him the Eagles’ next football coach.

O’Brien, a Massachusetts native, most recently was the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. He accepted the same position at Ohio State last month.

The 54-year-old O’Brien was hired at Ohio State to take over the play-calling duties from head coach Ryan Day. Presuming O’Brien seals the deal with Boston College, UCLA head coach Chip Kelly reportedly will be named the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator.

O’Brien’s family is rooted in the Boston area and planned to remain there while O’Brien was in Columbus, ESPN reported.

O’Brien will replace Jeff Hafley, who recently was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.

The Eagles finished 7-6 in 2023 and are getting a coach with a blue-chip pedigree.

O’Brien worked on Bill Belichick’s staff with the Patriots from 2007-11 and was quarterbacks coach to Tom Brady. He left to take over at Penn State in 2012 and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year.

From 2014-20, he led the Texans to the playoffs four times.

As for Ohio State, Kelly and Day have a longstanding relationship that began when Kelly was the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire with Day as his quarterback there from 1999-2001.

Kelly, 60, led Oregon to three Pac-12 championships as the Ducks head coach from 2009-12 and compiled an 46-7 record. He headed to the NFL in 2013, spending three seasons as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and one at the helm of the San Francisco 49ers with a 28-35 overall record.

He became UCLA’s head coach in 2018 and has a 35-34 record with the Bruins.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Navy Midshipmen head coach Ken Niumatalolo looks on during the second quarter against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Navy HC Ken Niumatalolo joins UCLA in advisory role

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Ken Niumatalolo, who served as head coach at Navy for the past 15 seasons, was hired by UCLA as the football program’s “director of leadership” on Friday.

Niumatalolo is Navy’s all-time winningest head coach, with a 109-83 record, and is the winningest head coach in the Army-Navy series with 10 victories. He was the first head coach in the history of the service academies’ rivalry to win eight straight installments.

Navy fired Niumatalolo, 57, after December’s loss in the Army-Navy Game. The Midshipmen went 4-8 in 2022 and 11-23 over the past three seasons.

In his position with UCLA, Niumatalolo will fill an advisory role to both student-athletes and the coaching staff.

He told ESPN in an interview that he was excited to work with UCLA coach Chip Kelly. The Bruins went 9-4 last season and will join the Big Ten in 2024.

“He’s an established coach, he’s not threatened by me or anything, he’s not worried about somebody looking over his shoulder,” Niumatalolo told ESPN. “That’s how Chip looks at it — anything I can add. They’re not far off, whatever I can bring, but it just felt right.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Sun Devil Stadium. Ncaa Ucla At Asu Syndication Arizona Republic

UCLA’s Chip Kelly gets extension through ’27 season

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UCLA football coach Chip Kelly signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the Bruins through the 2027 season.

Athletic director Martin Jarmond announced the extension Friday but did not disclose the financial terms.

In January 2022, Kelly and UCLA agreed on an extension through the 2025 season. The Los Angeles Times reported that Kelly would earn an average of $4.7 million per season.

UCLA leadership rewarded Kelly for guiding the Bruins to a No. 21 season-ending ranking and a 9-4 (6-3 Pac-12) mark. UCLA was in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since 2014.

Kelly was hired at UCLA before the 2018 season, and the Bruins finished a disappointing 3-9 (3-6 Pac-12). After back-to-back winning seasons, Kelly now has a 27-29 record in Westwood. His teams were 46-7 in four seasons at Oregon (2009-12).

“I am excited about our football program under the leadership of Coach Kelly and his talented staff,” Jarmond said in a news release. “The football program is on an upward trajectory, both on the field and in the classroom. Coach Kelly and his staff have done a tremendous job developing young men as demonstrated by their academic excellence.”

The 2022 Bruins averaged 503.6 yards per game in 2022 and became the first team in program history to average more than 500 yards of total offense per game.

Kelly, 59, was 28-35 as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers from 2013-16.

–Field Level Media

Nov 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly in the first half against the Southern California Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA extends Chip Kelly through 2025

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UCLA rewarded coach Chip Kelly with a four-year extension through the 2025 season on Friday, the program announced.

Kelly, 58, is coming off his first winning season with the Bruins in four years as their coach. UCLA went 8-4 in 2021. The team was set to play in the Holiday Bowl against NC State before COVID-19 complications forced the cancellation of the game.

Kelly is 18-25 in four seasons at UCLA after stints with Oregon (2009-12), the Philadelphia Eagles (2013-15) and the San Francisco 49ers (2016).

“We are extremely appreciative of the entire UCLA administration for their support of our football program,” Kelly said in a statement. “We have a tremendous amount of gratitude for our players and staff. Their tireless work and commitment to our vision has built a great foundation. We are excited to continue to build this program into something that makes the UCLA fan base proud.”

ESPN and the Los Angeles Times reported that Kelly’s new contract will pay him $4.7 million per year.

Kelly was linked to Oregon’s vacant coaching job earlier this winter, but the Ducks instead hired Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.

“This new contract represents the commitment, stability and investment needed to continue the upward trajectory of our football program,” Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement. “Since joining UCLA, our football team’s winning percentage has increased every year, including increased momentum in recruiting and strategic use of the transfer portal.”

–Field Level Media

Head Coach Chip Kelly, center, and the team take the field for the first Pac-12 Championship game at Autzen in 2011. Eug 113021 Pac12 Champs 01

Report: Oregon requests permission to speak to Chip Kelly

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Oregon has requested permission to speak with former coach Chip Kelly about its coaching vacancy, the Oregonian reported Thursday.

Kelly currently coaches UCLA and his buyout is reportedly $9 million.

The Bruins are 8-4 this season but only 18-25 overall in Kelly’s four seasons at the school. UCLA is set to play in the Holiday Bowl against North Carolina State on Dec. 28.

Oregon is in the market for a coach after Mario Cristobal departed to become coach at Miami, his alma mater.

Kelly went 46-7 with the Ducks from 2009-12. Oregon reached the national championship game in 2010 but lost 22-19 to Cam Newton-led Auburn.

Kelly departed to the NFL to become coach of the Philadelphia Eagles (2013-15) and was fired after three seasons. He then was hired by the San Francisco 49ers (2016) and dismissed after one season.

He went 28-35 as an NFL head coach and made one playoff appearance (a loss in 2013 with the Eagles).

Former Oregon coach and athletic director Mike Bellotti expressed mixed feelings about the 58-year-old Kelly possibly returning to Eugene on Sirius XM Pac-12 radio earlier this week.

“Chip did a tremendous job when he was there, both for me as an offensive coordinator and then for me when I was the AD, as the head coach,” Bellotti said. “And the reality is, I don’t know if it’s possible to recreate lightning in a bottle.

“At that time, we were the most innovative program in the nation and Chip did a tremendous job. He’s had not as much success since he left Oregon. I don’t know if he would be interested in coming back and I don’t know if there’s true interest. I think from a fan perspective, you always say, ‘well, let’s put the old band together.’ That group of coaches is no longer available. Many of them have retired, would not come back, some are coaching elsewhere.

“But I think that in this day and age, anything could happen. You’re never surprised by anything. When you start looking at it, (Lincoln) Riley going to USC and (Brian) Kelly going to LSU … it’s an interesting world. And I think if there was the belief that Chip could replicate, both in his mind and in the minds of the boosters and administrators, the kind of success he had here previously, then there’d be no question he’d be certainly one of the first people they call. I don’t know if that’s happening.”

BYU coach Kalani Sitake is also reportedly a candidate for the opening.

–Field Level Media