Chip Kelly's third time as an NFL coach wasn't a charm, even as an offensive coordinator. The Raiders fired Kelly after less than one full season in Las Vegas on Sunday, tied to the team's poor production and a 2-9 record.
Head coach Pete Carroll and Kelly was an odd fit of former Pac-12 personalities from the start. Kelly also had to operate often without tight end Brock Bowers and saw the team trade top remaining wide receiver Jakobi Meyers at the November deadline. With Carroll expecting to have a reliable running game, not being able to maximize the talent of rookie first-round pick Ashton Jeanty was a big factor.
Kelly, however, should find another college job as a coach or play-caller in 2026. That happened when he was fired by the Eagles and 49ers, first in leading UCLA and then engineering Ohio State's national-championship offense in 2024.
Don't expect Kelly, 61, to fill a marquee vacancy in the SEC, but the timing is good for a promising return to the West Coast.
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Chip Kelly's best college coaching fits in 2025
California Golden Bears (Head coach)
Justin Wilcox was just dismissed after nine seasons. Kelly has a chance to return to a familiar system, just 370 miles up the coast to Berkeley. Going for an ACC team vs. A Big Ten program, which UCLA now would be, could be a comfortable challenge.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (Offensive coordinator)
The Cowboys need to try to get back on track and take advantage of being out of Oklahoma's big Bedlam shadow in the Big 12, now separated from the SEC Sooners. It is an interesting conference in which this program can get back to competing at a high level with some spread offense.
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Virginia Tech Hokies (Offensive coordinator)
Carroll and Kelly didn't work in the NFL. But James Franklin has great respect for Kelly, his former Ohio State play-calling nemesis. The Hokies could rev up their offensive profile again with them providing more of a definitive ACC play-calling opportunity in which he doesn't have the same pressure of leading a whole program.
Oregon State Beavers (Head coach)
This wouldn't be great in terms of going back to the Pac-12, but it also would be an environment in which Kelly could rebound well and reestablish his winning reputation.
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Stanford Cardinal (Head coach)
Stanford just won the "Big Game" over Cal in what was a rivalry game of lame duck coaches for the Pac-12 to ACC transitioned team. Kelly's Oregon Ducks once were archrivals of David Shaw's Cardinal teams fighting for division crowns. Kelly can restore some of that last offensive mojo with Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey long gone from the program.
Penn State Nittany Lions (Offensive coordinator)
There's a chance Penn State may just elevate Terry Smith to full-time coach after taking over in the interim for Franklin. If that's the case, Smith may want to think about keeping former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and then pluck the other half of Ryan Day's natty assistants, too. A prominent Big Ten program seems like a long shot, but isn't the point to try to do what Ohio State is doing, anyway?
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