Report: Chip Kelly, Jedd Fisch, Kliff Kingsbury could command NFL interest

Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer said college coaches Chip Kelly (UCLA) and Jedd Fisch (Arizona) could command NFL interest this cycle.

Not only that, but former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who once led Texas Tech, could be back on an NFL sideline. With the influx of defensive minded head coaches in the NFL potentially coming, guys like Kelly and Fisch could be options on those staffs.

Glazer had more on FOX NFL Sunday.

“This is the time of the year that we started looking at these candidates,” Glazer said. “Last night Detroit had one, Ben Johnson, he’s really the top guy out there for offensive coaches. It’s gonna be a slew of defensive coaches. What I’m being told is the defensive coaches are starting to pick around and make some calls from guys with college and pro experience.

“Guys like Kliff Kingsbury, Chip Kelly, who’s at UCLA right now, Jedd Fisch who’s in Arizona, has done a great job in Arizona … But they’re trying to look for those offensive coaches to bring in even though they are coming with a defensive background.”

Kelly has the most extensive NFL background of the bunch, coaching the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

He went 28-35 overall, but that included a 2-14 record in his lone season with the 49ers. Kelly went 26-21 with the Eagles, including an NFC East title in his first year in 2013.

He returned to college football in 2018 with UCLA and is now 35-34 with the Bruins. He went 46-7 with Oregon and led the Ducks to the BCS National Championship Game in 2010.

Fisch is 16-21 as Arizona head coach, including a 10-3 record this year, capped off with the Alamo Bowl victory. He was an NFL assistant from 2002-08 before going to Minnesota and then back to the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks in 2010.

After more college stops as an assistant, he was on the Los Angeles Rams’ staff from 2018-19.

Kingsbury has a documented time with the Cardinals, where he was paired with former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. He led them to one playoff appearance (2021) and went 28-37-1 as head coach. He was 35-40 at Texas Tech.

Kingsbury is currently an offensive analyst on the USC staff under Lincoln Riley. As far as what these three could do in the NFL now, it’s an interesting proposition.

The three would have to weigh becoming an assistant at the pro level. That’d be a fascinating decision between Kelly and Fisch, who are head coaches at the Power Five level.