Chip Kelly seems to be looking to escape UCLA, based on various reports in recent weeks. With the offensive coordinator position coming open at Ohio State and head coach Ryan Day looking to hand off play-calling duties, Kelly might not find a better spot if he is, in fact, ready to move on from the Bruins.

So it came as no surprise to see Kelly immediately linked to the Ohio State job on Friday when reports emerged that Bill O’Brien was leaving Columbus to take the head coaching job at Boston College.

Kelly’s name was mentioned alongside several others, including Toledo’s Jason Candle.

Day said earlier this week that O’Brien’s coaching experience in the NFL, his experience developing quarterbacks, and his fit were all selling points in hiring him as the school’s offensive coordinator. Kelly has a lot of those same traits.

“I need to know why Chip wants to get out of UCLA as a head coach.” Bucknuts’ insider Jonah Booker said recently on the Bucknuts’ Morning 5 podcast. “I question if Chip Kelly still has it compared to what he had at Oregon. Is he washed up right now? You’re probably not going to get a dynamic recruiter at that position.

“… But he will bring a lot of experience to the table. He was a guy that was a mentor to Ryan Day. So that is some of the positive.”

The ties to Kelly are strong even though he has spent the majority of his head coaching career on the West Coast.

The UCLA head coach played his college ball at New Hampshire, the same school Day quarterbacked. When Day was orchestrating the offense for New Hampshire in the late 90s and early 2000s, Kelly was on the sideline calling his plays as the school’s offensive coordinator.

Both men worked together on New Hampshire’s staff in 2002 when Day moved from a player to a tight ends coach with the team. Day then worked as Kelly’s quarterbacks coach during his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles (2015) and during his lone season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Kelly has been at UCLA since 2018, where he has compiled a 35-34 record across six seasons. UCLA missed a bowl in each of its first three seasons under Kelly. They made the Holiday Bowl in 2021 but pulled out hours before kickoff due to COVID issues within the program. A LA Bowl victory to close out the 2023 campaign was Kelly’s first bowl win as the school’s head coach.

And it came at a pivotal time. Prior to the Bruins’ 38-20 win over USC on Nov. 18, reports emerged that Kelly was “likely” to be fired by UCLA. After beating the Trojans, Kelly said he wasn’t concerned for his job security and revealed he was told by UCLA’s administration that reports about his job were inappropriate.

A week later, UCLA lost to Cal 33-7 to close out the regular season.

Kelly has reportedly grown estranged from key donors tied to UCLA’s program. Recruiting high school talent has been a major issue during his tenure — the Bruins’ 2024 class ranked 87th in the 247 Composite. Fans have publicly called for his dismissal and shared plans to fly banners over the stadium next season as long as he remains in place.

According to multiple reports, Kelly interviewed for the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator position twice. He was linked to the Washington Commanders’ OC job as well. He reportedly interviewed for the same position with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this week.

Would Kelly as a coordinator be able to recapture the magic he engineered when he first rose to fame with Oregon? Take away the NIL considerations, the transfer portal management, the fundraising, and all the other responsibilities that rest with a head coach and let Kelly focus on the Xs and Os; would that allow him to be at his best?

It’s certainly a question worth asking if you’re Day. Kelly’s stretch schemes and his up-tempo attacks revolutionized the sport. From 2009-12, he led the Ducks to a national championship game appearance and two Rose Bowls. He won 12 games in each of his final three seasons with Oregon.

So much of what spread-style college programs run now can be traced back to Kelly’s Oregon teams. The proliferation of spread tempo offenses was swift after Kelly turned the Ducks into must-see TV. He didn’t last in the NFL, and his UCLA tenure appears to be trending in the wrong direction. Perhaps a marriage in Columbus could re-ignite that spark.

Fans and media on social media were buzzing about a potential Kelly-Day partnership on Friday.