Chip Kelly signs extension with UCLA after strong finish in 2022
Chip Kelly has landed an extension at UCLA after guiding the Bruins to a 9-4 season in 2022. The program announced Friday that Kelly has been extended through the 2027 season.
Athletic director Martin Jarmond sees the Bruins moving in the right direction.
“I am excited about our football program under the leadership of Coach Kelly and his talented staff,” Jarmon said in a program release. “The football program is on an upward trajectory, both on the field and in the classroom. Coach Kelly and his staff have done a tremendous job developing young men as demonstrated by their academic excellence.”
Kelly’s previous deal was through the 2025 season. The Bruins are 27-29 during Kelly’s tenure. In 2022, UCLA finished No. 21 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, the program’s first ranked finish for the Bruins since 2014.
Head Coach Chip Kelly Signs Contract Extension Through 2027! #GoBruins
𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘: https://t.co/5YFAbjpZPn pic.twitter.com/8FqddjffMj
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) March 3, 2023
What Kelly’s extension says about the coach and the program
Kelly’s extension feels like more than the halfhearted recruiting extension to be able to tell prospects the school is committed. UCLA went just 10-21 in Kelly’s first 3 years, but the Bruins are 17-8 in the last 2 seasons.
Extending Kelly now shows that the school is committed to having him guide the team through the move to the Big Ten. As Jarmon said, Kelly has the team on an upward projection. A new 5-year commitment makes sense.