UCLA Football Hires Chip Kelly: Did The Bruins Hire The Right Coach?

The message out of Westwood Saturday is probably loud and clear to the Pac-12 and the nation's top college football programs: The UCLA Bruins are "going all in" with the hire of Chip Kelly.

The former Oregon and Philadelphia Eagles head coach agreed to a five-year deal worth $23.3 million with a $9 million reciprocal buyout, according to UCLA. After sputtering in 2016 and 2017 under Jim Mora, athletic director Dan Guerrero has arguably made the most high-profile hire in UCLA football history.

Kelly, 54, is coming off a failed one-year stint as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and after three years with the Eagles. But it was his time leading the Oregon Ducks that likely was most appealing to UCLA. The offensive guru lifted Oregon to a 46-7 record in four seasons, thrusting the program into national championship contention from 2009 through 2012.

Despite his struggles in the NFL, Kelly's four years in the professional ranks should serve as a strong recruiting tool. Kelly failed to win a playoff game in Philadelphia, but the Eagles finished with a 10-6 record in both the 2013 and 2014 season.

A big question surrounds Kelly's hiring: Can he replicate his success from Oregon at UCLA?

The Bruins already have a very good recruiting class, but Kelly uses a unique fast-paced offense and it's unclear if he can lure the right players to run it as he did in Eugene. He also a reputation for being stubborn and reportedly had trouble dealing with players.

But the program likely sees the huge potential in Kelly. After failing to reach a Rose Bowl since 1998, Guerrero probably saw no other option than to hire the biggest name on the market — especially one that has plenty of Pac-12 experience. The only other reasonable candidate may have been Kevin Sumlin, who has failed to win nine games at Texas A&M since 2013.

Kelly, who drew interest from the Florida Gators, could prove to be a boon for a program that is often overshadowed by crosstown rival USC.

"I am thrilled to welcome Chip Kelly to Westwood," said Guerrero in a statement. "His success speaks for itself, but more than that, I firmly believe that his passion for the game and his innovative approach to coaching student-athletes make him the perfect fit for our program. 'Champions Made Here' is more than just a mantra at UCLA, and I'm confident that Chip will lead UCLA Football back to competing for championships. I'd like to thank Josh Rebholz, Casey Wasserman and Troy Aikman for their input during this process, as their candor, experience and support were invaluable.