Former Oregon AD speaks on possible Chip Kelly return

After the shocking announcement that Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal will leave for the Miami coaching vacancy, the Ducks are looking for a replacement of their own. Now late in the coaching carousel cycle, Oregon must conduct a search which maintains its place at the top of the Pac-12 despite USC’s ambitious hire.

On name which has surfaced in rumors is former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, who currently serves in the same role for Pac-12 rival UCLA. Kelly accumulated a 46-7 from 2009-12 with three Pac-12 titles and one BCS National Championship Game appearance in 2010. His Oregon teams finished inside the top five three times before he took an NFL job with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Former Oregon head coach and athletic director Mike Bellotti spoke about a potential homecoming for Chip Kelly and whether it serves either side to take back their ex.

“Chip did a tremendous job when he was there – both for me as an offensive coordinator and for me when I was the AD as the head coach,” Bellotti told SeriusXM. And the reality is I don’t know if its possible to recreate lightning in a bottle. At that time, we were the most innovative program in the nation and Chip did a tremendous job.”

He continued: “I think if there was the belief that Chip could replicate – both in his mind and in the minds of the boosters and administrators – the kind of success he had here previously, then there’d be not question. He’d certainly be one of the first people they’d call. I don’t know if that’s happened.”

Chip Kelly’s potential return

Chip Kelly served as the offensive coordinator at Oregon in 2007 and 2008 under Mike Bellotti and was named his predecessor when the later moved into an administrative role as athletic director. Kelly’s quick rise to power made him the hottest name in coaching.

After little success with the Philadelphia Eagles, he served as the San Francisco 49ers head coach. Without much to show from his NFL career, he returned to college coaching with UCLA in 2018.

The Bruins have just an 18-25 record under Kelly, but showed signs of improvement in 2021. After posting a 3-4 record in 2020, UCLA had its first season above .500 in Kelly’s tenure, finishing the season 8-4.

“He’s had not as much success since he left Oregon,” said Bellotti. “I don’t know if he would be interested in coming back and I don’t know if there’s true interest – I think from a fan perspective you always have, ‘well let’s put the old band together.’ That group of coaches is no longer available. Many of them have retired and will not come back, some of them are coaching elsewhere. But I think that in this day and age, anything can happen. You’re never surprised by anything when you start looking at Riley going to USC and Kelly going to LSU. It’s an interesting world.”