Chip Kelly Signs 4-Year Extension With UCLA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Following his first winning season with the UCLA Bruins, Head Coach Chip Kelly has received a four-year extension, which was announced on Friday.
Kelly's contract was set to renew for the fifth, and final, year of the deal he signed with the program in 2017 - worth $23.3 million.
In that time, he has coached the Bruins to a 18-25 record. While it may not appear pretty on the surface, the program has consistently gotten better over that time, finishing the 2021 season with an 8-4 record, earning their first bowl game berth with Kelly at the helm.
The monetary terms of the deal were not immediately available, though early reports from ESPN indicate that Kelly's yearly intake will total somewhere around $4.7 million.
Kelly coached the Bruins to a 3-9 record in his first season (2018) as head coach, the team's worst finish in nearly 30 years. The following year they would get a little better, at 4-8. The shortened 2020 season resulted in a 3-4 record, limiting perception of what the team could really do.
However, the 2021 season, a product of a series of successful recruiting campaigns, returned Kelly to the winning tendencies he was accustomed to while head coach of the Oregon Ducks. This season, the Bruins averaged 36.7 points per game on the back of 441.3 yards per game, their highest totals with Kelly as coach.
Sadly, the Bruins were unable to compete in the Holiday Bowl due to COVID-19 concerns, resulting in a cancelation of the game.
Kelly issued a statement on his extension on Friday, declaring his devotion to the program, "We are extremely appreciative of the entire UCLA administration for their support of our football program. We have a tremendous amount of gratitude for our players and staff. Their tireless work and commitment to our vision have built a great foundation. We are excited to continue to build this program into something that makes the UCLA fanbase proud."
His college coaching record is an impressive 64-32, and he rose to national acclaim with Oregon, first coming on as their offensive coordinator in 2007, before being hired as head coach two years later. He coached them to a 46-7 record over four seasons, leading the Ducks to three Rose Bowl appearances - with a 2-1 record - and one BCS National Title Game, which the Ducks would end up losing to Auburn in 2010.
Following his successful stint with Oregon, Kelly would head to the NFL where he took over the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2015. His first two seasons in Philly would result in one playoff appearance, and a 20-12 record. However, he was fired after his third season, and a 6-9 record.
He and was promptly signed by the San Francisco 49ers. His one season with the Niners was disastrous, and he would last for just 16 games, coaching them to a 2-14 record in the 2016-17 campaign.
A short stint with ESPN later, and Kelly would return to college football with the Bruins in 2018, on a five-year deal that was set to expire following the 2023 season.
Kelly has earned multiple accolades throughout his career, including PAC-12 Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2010 and AP College Football Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, Walter Camp Coach of the Year, Sporting News Coach of the Year and AFCA Coach of the Year in 2010. He was also awarded the 2013 Maxwell Club Coach of the Year Award.
ESPN reported that prior to new of the extension, Kelly had been in contact with Oregon after their head coach departed for another coaching opportunity.
