Chip Kelly Leaves UCLA Head Coach Job To Become Ohio State Offensive Coordinator In Unprecedented Move

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has decided that it's time to move on and will become the new offensive coordinator at Ohio State under coach Ryan Day. 

Bruce Feldman was the first to report the news of Chip Kelly leaving. 

Kelly has been looking for a way out of Los Angeles for over a month now, and with Bill O'Brien taking the Boston College job, the Buckeyes position was the perfect landing spot for Chip Kelly. He has a prior relationship with Ryan Day – at New Hampshire during his playing days, Day was the quarterback for an offense led by Chip Kelly. 

This could go down as one of the wilder moves in college football history, given the schools involved and a head coach leaving a prominent role to become an offensive coordinator. 

An off-season filled with coaching changes, this one looked unexpected just as the regular season was coming to an end. UCLA decided to bring back Chip Kelly for the 2024 season after talks of cutting ties with the head coach ramped up during the season. Now, it's Kelly who has decided it's time for a fresh start, and one that doesn't require him to run an entire football program in the process. 

We have seen coaches in the college ranks depart over the last two months, looking for greener pastures and less of a workload. Now, with the news of Chip Kelly departing for Columbus, we have another prominent college looking for a new head coach in February. 

This couldn't come at a worse time for the Bruins.

The last signing day was on Wednesday and most programs are in the middle of offseason workouts. In terms of building a program, the next head coach at UCLA will have his work cut out. The transfer portal window has closed, but this move allows UCLA players a 30-day window to look around at different schools. 

The problem with this scenario is that schools have already started classes, so most of the roster would have to think about transferring in the spring. This is the type of decision that will hurt the current UCLA roster, especially if they do not like who will take over in Westwood. 

As for Ohio State, they are getting an experienced offensive coordinator, who will have plenty of weapons on offense next season, which will be critical for Day. After losing three straight years to Michigan and not playing for a championship, the Ohio State head coach knows the temperature on his seat is rising. He needs a stellar regular season, while also getting over the hump that is Michigan football. 

Who will UCLA turn to next?

The news is tough for those in the UCLA athletic department, but I don't think they were caught off-guard. Chip Kelly and his agent Jimmy Sexton have made it clear over the past month that they were looking for an exit strategy, and now they've found one. 

We also cannot forget that UCLA is on its way to the Big Ten next season, with a matchup against Ohio State on the schedule. Chip Kelly informed his team Friday afternoon that he would be leaving, which automatically triggers the 30-day transfer portal window for current players. 

In terms of who UCLA could go after, this will undoubtedly set up another domino to fall. The school has the resources to hire an established head coach, especially with the Big Ten move upcoming. But when it comes to keeping the roster together, I'd imagine there are schools already on the phone with current UCLA players, discussing their future. 

The most intriguing part of this whole situation will be centered around how prepared UCLA was for this move. If they were talking about firing him after the 2023 season, you'd have to imagine they have a list of candidates that have been vetted already. 

Now, it all comes down to who will take the job this late in the cycle. Prepare yourself now, as college football continues to shake its foundation to the core.