College coach opts to stay out of NFL
Chip Kelly, Oregon’s head football coach, has decided not to become a coach with the NFL, says USA Today. Early on Sunday, reports stated Kelly was in negotiations with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a position. However, late night reports claimed Kelly decided against the move.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to replace Raheem Morris, their head coach who was fired on January 2 following a 4-12 season. The Buccaneers lost their last ten games in 2011 and finished last in points allowed (30.9).
After assistant coaching with Columbia, New Hampshire, and Johns Hopkins, Kelly became Oregon’s offensive coordinator in 2007. He became head coach in 2009 and since then, the team went 34-6, won their conference, and reached a BCS game in all three seasons. In 2011, the Ducks also won their Rose Bowl since 1917.
In 2011, Kelly ranked among the highest paid college coaches in the country with a base salary of $2.8 million. Raheem Morris earned a $2 million salary during his last year with the Bucs.
Read more on Kelly’s career here.