Chip Kelly was a one-and-done as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, but it was easily one of the best one-and-done situations ever.
Kelly was hired by head coach Ryan Day in 2024, and it was big news because Kelly left the head-coaching position at UCLA to take a coordinator position at OSU.
That's technically a step-down, but Kelly saw it as an opportunity to win a national championship — which Ohio State went on to do.
Kelly got his hardware and is now off to do something else. It was reported over the weekend that he'll be joining Pete Carroll as offensive coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Day immediately reacted to that news with Joel Klatt of Fox Sports, and though he'll be losing a great offensive coordinator, there was no bitterness.
In fact, he'll look back on OSU's run with Kelly with great fondness.
“We talked about the fact that we had a really good group here and the dream would be to win a national championship and then he would have an opportunity to decide whether he wants to stay or go to the NFL. That’s exactly what happened," Day told Klatt (h/t On3). “To be able to have a beer in a few years and talk about the year that we had together is gonna be special. Because we all started together and this is where I started with him and we went and did that. What a great story. I know so many people back home in New Hampshire are excited for him and for the story. It’s pretty special.”
The New Hampshire connection is special for the two prolific college coaches. Day was tight ends coach for New Hampshire in 2002, which was his first college coaching job. Kelly was the Wildcats' offensive coordinator at the time.
