Oftentimes we see College Football coaches make the jump to the NFL, and more often than not it fails miserably. For Chip Kelly, his tries at becoming an NFL coach have failed every time, proving he's best suited for the College level. Kelly's latest stint in the NFL didn't even last a season as the Las Vegas Raiders fired him on Sunday after making him the highest paid coordinator in the league.
After he was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders, it's hard to imagine that Chip Kelly will ever have another stint at the NFL level. This offseason, Chip Kelly becomes available for teams to make a run at, and whether it's as an offensive coordinator or a head coach, he'll be an interesting name to follow.
These 10 landing spots make the most sense for Chip Kelly
Ohio State Buckeyes (OC)
Chip Kelly left his role as the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes in order to take the Las Vegas Raiders job. Kelly's replacement Brian Hartline has become a popular name in head coaching searches, and if he gets a job could we see Kelly return to the role? Kelly will have a ton of familiarity with the players he would be coaching, and with his ties to Ryan Day it wouldn't be crazy.
Penn State Nittany Lions (OC)
The Penn State Nittany Lions are one of the programs that could hire Brian Hartline away from Columbus. If Brian Hartline gets a head coaching gig, he may look to build a staff with experience to help eliminate the hurdles a first-time head coach faces. Chip Kelly would bring a ton of familiarity to the staff, and his offense would help Penn State finally develop a quarterback.
Oregon Ducks (OC)
This offseason Dan Lanning may lose both of his offensive coordinators as Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi are both intriguing names in the coaching carousel. The Oregon Ducks may need an offensive coordinator, and aside from his previous role in Eugene, Chip Kelly would make a ton of sense. Kelly coached Dante Moore at UCLA, and if the quarterback returns, hiring a coach like Kelly who knows his strengths and weaknesses may be the best to keep things rolling for 2026.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Oklahoma State Cowboys would be an interesting hire if Oklahoma State considered him whether it's as an offensive coordinator or a head coach. The Big 12 has been dominated by high-flying offenses in the past, and if anyone could turn the program into that mold of team it would be Chip Kelly. If Oklahoma State hires a CEO type to run the program, Kelly would make for a great hire as he can run the offense giving the coach one last thing to manage.
Cal Golden Bears
After firing Justin Wilcox on Sunday, Cal could look to Chip Kelly whether it's as a head coach or offensive coordinator. The Golden Bears have a promising young quarterback in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, and pairing him with an offensive guru like Chip Kelly would allow him to blossom. Cal is always going to be at a talent disadvantage, but if they find a coach who can light up the scoreboard, it could change their path to relevancy in the ACC.
Stanford Cardinal
On the other side of "The Big Game", the Stanford Cardinal would be wise to consider Chip Kelly as an offensive coordinator. Andrew Luck will be making the hire for the Cardinal, and his next coach will likely be someone who's been in the Stanford program. If Luck lands on a first time head coach, tying him to an experienced head coach like Chip Kelly could only help the coach's development.
Oregon State Beavers
Next season, the new look Pac 12 debuts, and Oregon State will be looking to return to relevancy after being left behind in realignment. The Beavers could instantly turn to Chip Kelly who built a winner at Oregon, and hope that he could do the same at their program.
South Carolina Gamecocks (OC)
Shane Beamer's decision to hire Mike Shula quickly backfired, and he'll be back in the market for a playcaller this offseason. Based on Chip Kelly's history with dual threat quarterbacks, bringing in Chip Kelly would make perfect sense if the Gamecocks are able to bring back LaNorris Sellers next season. Kelly could get the most out of Sellers while becoming a steadying force for this program at offensive coordinator.
Colorado State Rams
Next season Colorado State will arrive in the Pac 12, and they'll need to find a head coach who can get this team into yearly contention in the league. Chip Kelly was able to go on a run in the previous iteration of the conference, and he'd be able to bring a higher level of recruiting to the team based off his track record alone.
Virginia Tech Hokies (OC)
The biggest knock on James Franklin aside from his struggles in the big games was the fact that he couldn't ever develop a quarterback. As James Franklin takes over Virginia Tech, he could land Chip Kelly to help him hit that next level on offense. The ACC is wide open as of late, and if the Hokies could hit the ground running, they could compete for the league in year one.