Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
UCLA lures Kelly with five-year deal
LOS ANGELES — Chip Kelly is headed to UCLA with plans to create another Pac-12 powerhouse.
The coach who helped changed college football with his groundbreaking offense at Oregon agreed Saturday to a fiveyear, $23.3 million deal to return to the sideline with the Bruins.
Kelly, who turned 54 on Saturday, spent the past year out of coaching after four seasons in the NFL. He entertained serious overtures from Florida this month before deciding to take charge of the sleeping giant of a program at UCLA, which hasn’t won a conference title since 1998.
“I am thrilled to welcome Chip Kelly to Westwood,” UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said.
Kelly replaces Jim Mora, who was fired last Sunday with one game left in his sixth season.
Kelly won three conference titles and reached four major bowl games in just four seasons (2009-12) in charge of the Ducks, who were turned into a marvel of exciting football by his no-huddle spread offense and up-tempo approach to almost everything they did.
Oregon went 46-7 under Kelly, reaching the BCS championship game after the 2010 season and also playing in two Rose Bowls and a Fiesta Bowl.
He then went 28-35 with the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers from 2013-16.
Florida also pursued Kelly to fill its own high-profile job opening. But after the Bruins’ presentation Tuesday, which included input from former UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman and powerful booster Casey Wasserman, Kelly elected to return to the West Coast, where he already has recruiting contacts after years of landing California talent for Oregon.
“It is an absolute honor to join the Bruin family, and I am grateful to Chancellor (Gene) Block and to Dan Guerrero for this incredible opportunity,” Kelly said in a statement.
Kelly’s UCLA contract contains a $9 million reciprocal buyout, the Bruins said. UCLA will introduce Kelly on Monday in a news conference.
Jedd Fisch, Mora’s offensive coordinator, served as interim coach Friday night when UCLA (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) beat California 30-27 to earn bowl eligibility for the fifth time in Mora’s six seasons. Fisch was expected to run the Bruins for their to-be-determined bowl game.