Chip Kelly Explains Why He Left UCLA for Ohio State Offensive Coordinator Job

The former head coach will be an assistant for the first time in 15 years.

Chip Kelly left his head-coaching job at UCLA to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, a rare instance where a head coach left to take an assistant position on his own accord. 

Kelly was set to enter his seventh season leading the Bruins, but instead chose to join Ryan Day’s staff for next season.

On Tuesday, Kelly explained what went into his decision to join the Buckeyes, and it began when former UCLA quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson left the Bruins program before the team’s bowl game vs. Boise State.

“I actually coached the quarterbacks for the bowl game, and I just started to think, like I hadn't actually coached a position since 2008,” Kelly said. “I think my wife remarked, she was like, ‘I haven't seen you this happy in a long time.’ And, to me, the best part of football is football. And so you got to do football, and not do some of the things involved with the head coaching deal.”

Chip Kelly on why he left UCLA to join Ryan Day at Ohio State #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/XDTHLpscsw

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Kelly then said after the bowl game, when it was time to start ramping up recruiting, he reflected on potentially being an assistant coach again.

“So I started to look into, ‘Is there an opportunity?’” Kelly said. “And it would have had to been the right spot to go somewhere and just coach a position again and be back with that group.”

Kelly has been a head coach since 2009, leading Oregon, UCLA, the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers. The last time he was an assistant coach was in 2008, when he was the offensive coordinator for Oregon.

With all the changes in college football’s recruiting, it appears that Kelly didn’t want to deal with all of the CEO responsibilities of a head coach.

“I just want to be happy. And I'm really happy coaching the position,” Kelly said. “Really happy to be at this place. It would have taken a special place for me to leave UCLA, because I love those players and I love that coaching staff, but to be here with Ryan, had a great relationship, I’ve known Ryan since he was a little kid. 

“So I think a lot of things just fell into place that way.”