Chip Kelly Is Ohio State's New Offensive Coordinator

For the last 15 years, Chip Kelly has worked as a head coach — most recently at UCLA, with stints at the 49ers and Eagles before that. Now, he’s taking something of an unexpected move: leaving UCLA to join Ryan Day’s coaching staff at Ohio State. As Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times observed, Kelly and Day have a long history, which began when Kelly was the offensive coordinator and Day was a quarterback at New Hampshire.

Writing at the Columbus Dispatch, Joey Kaufman and Bill Rabinowitz offered more insight into Kelly’s move. At Ohio State, Kelly will succeed Bill O’Brien, who recently became Boston College’s head coach. “I am really looking forward to reconnecting with Chip, introducing him to our staff and team and chasing a championship together,” Day told the Dispatch via a statement.

One assumes there’s an upside for Kelly’s own career if Ohio State performs well. As the Dispatch reported, Ohio State has signed Kelly to a three-year contract.

The Ohio State University Just Trademarked the Word “THE”

The trademark only applies to merchandise for the school, but social media had thoughts

As the Los Angeles Times reported, UCLA’s athletic director, Martin Jarmond, addressed the question of Kelly’s successor. Jarmond pointed to the range of responsibilities for a new head coach, saying that “we’re looking for a CEO that has that energy and a passion for that.”

As for who might become the team’s new “CEO,” James H. Williams of the Los Angeles Daily News has a rundown of some likely candidates — including UCLA alumnus DeShaun Foster and USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. It’ll be one to watch in the coming days and weeks.