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UCLA football: 3 candidates to replace Chip Kelly as head coach

By Connor Muldowney

Oct 21, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly stands on the field
Oct 21, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly stands on the field / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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2. PJ Fleck, Minnesota head coach

One of the names that's being associated most with UCLA following Chip Kelly's departure has been Minnesota's PJ Fleck. The Minnesota head coach hasn't had the most successful tenure at Minnesota, but he's been solid enough to be mentioned among numerous head coaching searches.

Fleck has put together a 50-34 record over seven years at Minnesota but he is coming off his first non-COVID-19-affected losing season with the Gophers since 2017.

Minnesota fans would like to keep him around because he has turned the Gophers into bowl season regulars but it feels like any time a job opens up, he's mentioned. Does that mean he has the best agent in the game? Potentially, but this one would actually make sense for Fleck.

UCLA would offer a potentially better head coaching job than Minnesota with a wealth of West Coast talent within reach. Plus, the program would likely make a lucrative offer if they truly wanted him to be the guy. It feels like Fleck would take the job if offered. He has the perfect personality to seamlessly transition to Los Angeles life.

While Fleck hasn't won 10-plus games since 2019, he could be a regular eight-plus win head coach at UCLA and he already knows the Big Ten.

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