Bruce Feldman evaluates how hot Chip Kelly's seat is
With the coaching carousel picking up steam this week, many coaches could start to feel the pressure. That includes Chip Kelly at UCLA as, according to Bruce Feldman, his seat has started to become pretty warm out in Pasadena.
Feldman spoke about Kelly’s job security during an appearance on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ on Wednesday. The Bruin’s loss this past weekend, which was their fourth of the season, is apparently what has really put this option on the table.
“It definitely warmed up with them losing on Saturday night at home against a really terrible Arizona State team,” said Feldman.
That’s not the only reason that UCLA might eventually elect to move on from Kelly after six seasons. Whether on the field or off of it, Feldman just doesn’t think it has necessarily worked out the way many had hoped that it could with him leading the program.
“The interesting part of this is, for most of Chip’s run there, they really struggled on defense. Well, he made a really good hire this offseason – D’Anton Lynn, whose dad is a former NFL head coach and everybody knows was a guy who grew up in football. They’ve been really good on defense, they have some really good players,” explained Feldman. “Offensively? They have really struggled over the second half of the season. They’re down to their third-string quarterback – that hasn’t helped. Their offensive line isn’t particularly good. They feel like they’re just kind of fizzling on offense.”
“There’s a lot of chatter about frustration with fans. I think there’s a lot of frustration with fans at UCLA for a couple of reasons. One – he got off to a super slow start the first three years. He turned it around in the last three years, he has got it going pretty good. But, then, he doesn’t recruit the way a lot of other people would want his team to recruit in terms of doing what Oregon does. Or doing even what USC does where you’re competing for five-star guys,” Feldman continued. “There’s that. And, also, you already have an apathetic fanbase that, no matter who’s the coach there, they’re not coming out. This is not like USC football. They don’t approach it that way.”
With a 33-33 record, albeit a 23-12 one over the past three years, and only one bowl to show for it, Kelly’s second stint in the Pac-12 has not gone nearly as well as his first. Now, with two games to go and big changes coming to UCLA, Kelly could find himself among those shifts, especially if, per reports, he doesn’t come out with a victory this weekend.
“They’re 6-4 and they have a reeling USC team,” said Feldman. “Right now? They really need a win. I don’t know.”
“If he loses and goes to 6-5? It would definitely be a disappointing year given that they’re backsliding into the season. But, again, I think it’s hard to say how they’re going to operate. I don’t think he has a huge buyout there,” Feldman said. “He could definitely use a win to quiet all the chatter around there.”