The Ohio State University football team has a new offensive player.
After briefly hiring Bill O’Brien before he accepted the head coaching job at Boston College, Ohio State coach Ryan Day hired Chip Kelly, the former UCLA and Oregon coach, as the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator and quarterback coach beginning in 2024.
Kelly will make his official debut as Ohio State’s coach on Saturday when OSU takes on Akron. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Ohio Stadium and will be televised on CBS.
Here’s why Kelly made the move to become OSU’s new offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.
More about Chip Kelly: Ryan Day and Chip Kelly are reunited at Ohio State. Here’s their relationship story
Why Chip Kelly wanted to be offensive coordinator at Ohio State
At Ohio State University, Kelly is a coordinator and position coach for the first time since 2008. However, at his introductory press conference with the Buckeyes, Kelly admitted, “Sometimes I do a lot of things that other people don’t do.”
“I just want to be happy. And I’m really happy to be coaching a position and really happy to be in this place,” Kelly said.
Kelly served as a position coach and/or coordinator for 19 seasons before becoming head coach at Oregon in 2009.
Chip Kelly’s UCLA record
After four years at Oregon, where he led the Ducks to 46 wins in 53 games, including a BCS championship appearance in 2010, Kelly returned to college football in 2018 to coach UCLA.
Kelly’s teams at UCLA finished the season 35-34. The Bruins beat Boise State in the 2023 LA Bowl but lost to Pittsburgh in the 2022 Sun Bowl.
- 2018: UCLA 3-9
- 2019: UCLA 4–8
- 2020: UCLA 3-4
- 2021: UCLA 8-4
- 2022: UCLA 9-4
- 2023: UCLA 8-5
Chip Kelly’s UCLA severance package
In March 2023, Kelly signed a contract extension to remain coach at UCLA through 2027. According to the Los Angeles Times, Kelly was set to make $6.1 million in 2023 and 2024 and $6.2 million in 2025, 2026 and 2027.
Ohio State had to pay $1.5 million to UCLA for Kelly’s severance package and related taxable income from the costs.
Chip Kelly’s Ohio State contract
Kelly signed a three-year contract as offensive coordinator at Ohio State that includes an annual base salary of $2 million.
Chip Kelly’s coaching career
Here’s a look at Kelly’s coaching positions before becoming Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
- 1990: Columbia – Defensive Backs/Special Teams
- 1991: Columbia – Fullbacks/Safeties
- 1992: New Hampshire – Running Backs
- 1993: Johns Hopkins – defensive coordinator
- 1994-96: New Hampshire – Running Backs
- 1997-98: New Hampshire – Offensive Line
- 1999-2006: New Hampshire – Offensive Coordinator
- 2007-08: Oregon – Offensive Coordinator
- 2009-12: Oregon – Head Coach
- 2013-15: Philadelphia Eagles – Head Coach
- 2016: San Francisco 49ers – Head Coach
- 2018-23: UCLA – Head Coach
- 2024: Ohio State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Ohio State Football Schedule 2024
- August 31: Ohio State vs. Akron; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- September 7: Ohio State vs. Western Michigan; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- September 21: Ohio State vs. Marshall; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- September 28: Ohio State at Michigan State; Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
- October 5: Ohio State vs. Iowa; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- October 12: Ohio State at Oregon; Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon
- October 26: Ohio State vs. Nebraska; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- November 2: Ohio State at Penn State; Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
- November 9: Ohio State vs. Purdue; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- November 16: Ohio State at Northwestern; Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- November 23: Ohio State vs. Indiana; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- November 30: Ohio State vs. Michigan; Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
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