Details emerge on Chip Kelly's contract extension at UCLA

Chip Kelly recently agreed to a contract extension with UCLA, and now, details of that new deal have emerged. According to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, Kelly’s new deal will pay him $4.6 million next season and $4.8 million in the following three years. The deal keeps Kelly under contract through the 2025 season.

Bolch also reported that Kelly has a retention bonus included in his new contract with UCLA.

“Retention bonuses are $1 million on Dec. 15, 2022, $1 million Dec. 15, 2023 and $1 million on Dec. 15, 2024,” Bolch tweeted.

Kelly’s new deal with UCLA also has a buyout that expires on Dec. 15, 2023.

“Chip Kelly’s buyout that expires Dec. 15, 2023, calls for him to make 70% of his salary and talent fee THROUGH THAT DATE, not for the entire four-year contract,” said Bolch.

News of Kelly’s extension originally broke just two days before Kelly’s buyout in his previous contract was set to drop to zero.

Kelly is coming off of his best season since taking over at UCLA

Kelly began his collegiate coaching career in 2009 at Oregon. There, he led the Ducks to a 46-7 overall record and four bowl game appearances. In 2010, Kelly and Oregon made it to the BCS Championship, where the Ducks ultimately fell short. After the 2012 season, Kelly was hired as the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kelly led the Eagles to a 10-6 record in each of his first two NFL seasons, making the playoffs once. He then went 6-9 in his third year in Philadelphia and was fired after Week 16 in 2015. The San Francisco 49ers then hired Kelly as their next head coach, but Kelly lasted just one season there after going 2-14.

In 2018, Kelly was hired at UCLA. It has been a slow buildup for the Bruins, as Kelly went 3-9 in his first season and 4-8 in his second. In the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, UCLA went 3-4. This past season, UCLA went 8-4 and earned a bowl selection, before it was ultimately canceled. In four years at UCLA, Kelly has coached to an 18-25 overall record.

Kelly appears to have the Bruins on the right track, and next season, the first of Kelly’s contract extension, will be a big one to truly test the progress in the program. UCLA was ranked as high as 13th in the AP Top 25 polls this past season. UCLA opens the 2022 season with a home game against Bowling Green on Saturday, September 3.