Report: Details emerge on Chip Kelly's UCLA buyout amid Oregon pursuit

Could Chip Kelly wind up back at Oregon? That seems to be the chatter, and it would reportedly come with a hefty price tag, as well.

Thursday afternoon, a report surfaced that Oregon had asked UCLA for permission to speak with Kelly about its head coach opening. It comes after Mario Cristobal left the Ducks to coach his alma mater, Miami, earlier this week.

Shortly after the initial report, ESPN’s Chris Low reported what Kelly’s buyout is at UCLA. If he leaves, he has a $9 million buyout in his contract, according to Low.

Confirming @johncanzanobft's report. @oregonfootball is making a hard push to bring back Chip Kelly as the Ducks' head coach, sources tell ESPN. He has a lot of support there after taking Oregon to the national championship game in 2010. His buyout at UCLA is $9 million.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) December 9, 2021

Kelly was previously at Oregon from 2007-12, starting as offensive coordinator before moving up to head coach in 2009. He led the Ducks to the 2010 national championship, an eventual 22-19 loss to Cam Newton and Auburn.

He left Oregon in 2012 to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach, but the Eagles fired him in 2015. Kelly then took over as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, but was fired after a 2-14 record.

After spending a year as an analyst at ESPN, UCLA brought Kelly on board as head coach in 2018. He has an 18-25 record in Los Angeles, but took the Bruins to an 8-4 record and a bowl game this season.

Report: Oregon requests interview with former head coach Chip Kelly

Oregon finds itself in need of a new head coach after the departure of Mario Cristobal, and the Ducks could look to a familiar name to take the reins: Chip Kelly.

According to a report from John Canzano, Oregon’s athletic department has asked for permission to speak with Kelly, UCLA’s head coach, about the Ducks coaching vacancy.

Canzano added that Oregon still has “moves to make” in the next 24-72 hours of its coaching search, but “this may signal a shift back to what Oregon is comfortable with and knows.”

Kelly is no stranger to Oregon, having served a two-year stint as offensive coordinator, then a four-year stint as head coach, before making the jump to the NFL. Kelly accumulated a 46-7 from 2009-12, when he served as head coach, with three Pac-12 titles and one BCS National Championship Game appearance in 2010. His Oregon teams finished inside the top five three times prior to taking an NFL job with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Former Oregon head coach and athletic director Mike Bellotti spoke on Tuesday about a potential homecoming for Kelly and whether it serves either side to have a reunion of sorts.

“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 said. “And the reality is I don’t know if it’s 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.

“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 no question. He’d certainly be one of the first people they’d call. I don’t know if that’s happened.”