Chip Kelly is Back

Chip Kelly is coming to West Wood.

In a season of disappointment for the UCLA Bruins this has to be the best news of the year. Kelly is coming back to the Pac-12 after a three-year flirtation and ultimately unsuccessful run in the NFL. Kelly made his name for having a high-flying offense at Oregon and taking the program to national relevance. From 2009 to 2012 Kelly went 46-7 at Oregon and averaged an incredible 44.7 points during that time. Kelly left Oregon shortly before the NCAA handed down a “failure to monitor” charge. His five-year 23.3-million-dollar contract is the first domino in a series of coaching hires that will happen in the coming weeks but it sure is a big one.

Kelly was also considering the Florida job but a slew of factors just made UCLA a more enticing job. UCLA will come with a lot less pressure on Kelly and there is no Pac-12 juggernaut to overcome like Alabama is in the SEC. Kelly could build UCLA into quarterback university and will obviously give superstar quarterback, Josh Rosen, something to think about when deciding if he wants to take his talents to the NFL.

A more in-depth view of the Chip Kelly hire will be out on Tuesday but for now let’s celebrate the beginning of something special. Chip Kelly has returned to the Pac-12.