Chip Kelly Leaves UCLA for Ohio State, Reunites with Ryan Day

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Chip Kelly, the former UCLA head coach, made a surprising career move this offseason by stepping down from his head coaching role to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. The decision, announced in March, reunites Kelly with Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, with whom he shares a long history dating back to their time at New Hampshire.

Kelly, who led UCLA from 2018 to 2023 and previously coached Oregon to the 2011 national championship, cited a renewed passion for coaching positions as a key factor in his decision. “I actually coached the quarterbacks for the bowl game, and I just started to think, like I hadn’t actually coached a position since 2008,” Kelly said during his introductory press conference. “I think my wife remarked, she was like, ‘I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.’”

The move marks a significant shift for Kelly, who had not served as an assistant coach since his tenure as Oregon’s offensive coordinator in 2008. His decision to leave UCLA, where he signed a contract extension in 2023 worth $6.1 million for 2024, underscores his desire to focus on the fundamentals of football rather than the administrative burdens of head coaching.

Kelly and Day’s relationship dates back to the late 1990s when Day was a quarterback at New Hampshire and Kelly was his offensive coordinator. Day later served as a quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles during Kelly’s NFL head coaching stints. “I’ve known Ryan since he was a little kid,” Kelly said. “So, I think a lot of things just fell into place that way.”

Ohio State paid UCLA $1.5 million to hire Kelly as offensive coordinator, and his contract includes a $2 million salary with potential bonuses of up to $940,000. Kelly replaces Bill O'Brien, who briefly held the position before leaving to become the head coach at Boston College.

Kelly’s transition to Ohio State comes at a pivotal time for the program, which is preparing to face Notre Dame in a highly anticipated matchup. During a pregame press conference, Kelly took a subtle jab at Oregon, referencing a controversial play in a previous game where the Ducks were penalized for having 12 players on the field. “It was a unique message to our players, that you can’t stop us with 11,” Kelly said. “You had to stop us with 12.”

The incident, which occurred during Ohio State’s loss to Oregon in 2024, led to a rule change preventing teams from exploiting late-game penalties to manipulate the clock. “After the two-minute timeout in either half, if the defense commits a substitution foul and 12 or more players are on the field and participate in a down, officials will penalize the defense for the foul and, at the option of the offended team, reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap,” the new rule states.

Kelly’s return to an assistant role has been met with enthusiasm from Ohio State players and fans alike. His extensive experience and innovative offensive strategies are expected to bolster the Buckeyes’ performance as they aim for a national championship in the 2024-25 season.