UCLA’s Chip Kelly appears to be considering a potential return to the NFL, as reports suggest his interest in two offensive coordinator positions within the league. The Las Vegas Raiders interviewed Kelly twice before ultimately selecting Kliff Kingsbury, a former coach of the Arizona Cardinals and Texas Tech, as their offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, there is speculation that Kelly might join Dan Quinn’s staff with the Washington Commanders.
The #Raiders interviewed #UCLA coach Chip Kelly at least twice for their vacant OC job under Antonio Pierce, sources say. Kelly appeared open to a return to the NFL… but Pierce ultimate chose Kliff Kingsbury.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 2, 2024
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is a potential candidate for #Commanders OC under new head coach Dan Quinn, per sources. Kelly, a two-time NFL head coach, is believed to have interest in returning to the league and Washington will consider talking with him.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 2, 2024
Kelly boasts previous NFL experience, having served as a head coach for four seasons. His NFL journey began with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, where he led the team to an NFC East title in his debut season. Following his tenure with the Eagles, Kelly took on the role of head coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, although he was relieved of his duties after a challenging 2-14 season.
During his time at UCLA, Kelly has maintained a somewhat mixed record, standing at 35-34 overall but showing improvement with a 25-13 record over the past three years. The recent season concluded with the Bruins achieving an 8-5 record, highlighted by a resounding victory over rival USC and a successful outing against Boise State in the LA Bowl, marking the program’s first bowl win since 2014.
Before his NFL stints, Kelly built a strong reputation at the University of Oregon. His four-year tenure as the Ducks’ head coach featured a remarkable 46-7 record, three conference titles, an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game in 2010, and consistent top-four finishes in the final polls from 2010 to 2012.
If Kelly decides to make the leap back to the NFL, he would join the ranks of sitting college head coaches who have voluntarily left their positions since the end of the season. This includes Boston College’s Jeff Hafley, who departed to become the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator, as well as South Alabama’s Kane Wommack and Buffalo’s Maurice Linguist, both of whom accepted co-defensive coordinator roles under new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer.