Kelly leaves UCLA to take Ohio State OC job

Former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is taking over Ohio State's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach roles, the program announced Friday.

The Bruins announced Kelly's departure Friday, stating that a national search for the team's next head coach has already begun.

At Ohio State, Kelly will replace Bill O'Brien, who was named Boston College's head coach Friday. O'Brien held the offensive coordinator position for less than a month before leaving for the Boston College gig.

The UCLA coach's arrival comes just hours after reports of O'Brien's departure surfaced. But Ohio State head coach Ryan Day previously said the team had a contingency plan ready if O'Brien left.

The move will reunite Day with Kelly, his offensive coordinator when the former was a player at New Hampshire from 1998-2001. Day later joined the New Hampshire coaching staff and worked with Kelly as a tight ends coach in 2002.

The two also spent time on the same NFL coaching staff when Day served as the quarterbacks coach under Kelly for the Philadelphia Eagles (2015) and San Francisco 49ers (2016).

Their Ohio State reunion marks the first time that Kelly will work under Day.

Kelly's departure doesn't come as a shock: He interviewed for NFL offensive coordinator openings with the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders over the last month.

The 60-year-old became UCLA's coach following the 2017 season and owns a 35-34 record at the school. The Bruins went 8-5 in 2023, their third straight campaign with a winning mark.

Kelly developed a reputation for his fast-paced and up-tempo offenses during a successful four-season stint with Oregon from 2009-2012. The Ducks went 46-7 under him and made the BCS Championship Game in 2010.