Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Chip Kelly and BC: will the timing ever work?



When BC fired Spaz, Chip Kelly reached out to BC about the job. I don't know Chip nor have any idea how serious he was, but he did put out feelers. He was still the Head Coach at Oregon at the time. I don't know how seriously Brad Bates took it either. Chip, like many in his profession, has a bit of grass is greener philosophy and wanderlust. Nothing obviously came of it and I only heard about it in pieces from a few folks over the years. (The Golden and Bill O'Brien talks were much more serious.) Chip was clearly ready to leave Oregon. He took the Philadelphia job shortly thereafter. Now that he's been fired by Philadelphia, the timing might finally work. If Addazio struggles in 2016, the job could be there for Chip if he really, finally wants it.

Kelly will have his pick of jobs next year (and maybe still even this year). He will be the first call for any college looking for a new head coach. And despite his challenges in Philly, there will still be NFL teams interested in him. If he wants to win big in college or return to the NFL, BC clearly won't be a factor. But who knows what will motivate him?

Kelly has always marched to the beat of his own drum. Instead of going to a football factory or dealing with pro athletes he can't push around, the idea of building up BC might appeal to him. It gets him back to New England. It gets him in an environment he enjoys. He loves BC and is very familiar with the campus and program. He used to work the BC camps while at UNH and he had multiple BC guys on his staff. Even if Addazio struggles, in 2016 the job will be better than it was. The roster and athleticism will be good. The indoor practice facility will have been announced (and hopefully have a ground breaking). If Kelly really wants to coaching in the right place for him and close to home, BC might fit the bill.

I won't root against Addazio next year nor do I think Kelly is probable, but so much of all of this is timing. Maybe, just maybe, next year will finally be the right time for Kelly to come to BC.

Post Script

Of the BC guys now out of a job in Philly, I don't seen any returning now. After all that happened this year with the Offense, I don't think Addazio is willing to move back to Ryan Day. There's too much sensitivity to fault and reasons for past success. Bill McGovern would be a good linebacker coach, but does he want to come back to that after he's been Coordinator here? Dawson left BC in part due to his frustrations with recruiting. Recruiting remains a huge issue. I wish them all the best, but don't see any coming to BC right now. 

26 comments:

EL MIZ said...

ATL -

regarding Day you wrote "There's too much sensitivity to fault and reasons for past success." - what does this mean exactly? was Addazio angry that Day took the QB coach job? i don't follow the 'reasons for past success' bit - our offense was slightly above competent with Day and a year later it was a once-in-a-lifetime ineptitude - i'd happily bring him back. care to elaborate?

Happy New Year! Thanks for another great year of BC coverage.

EL MIZZO

Hoib said...

I'm a Daz Guy, but if people think Chip is the answer why wait a year. BC should reach out to his agent in a back Chanel conversation. I doubt he'd be interested, but it's worth looking into. If it's for real, we'd be talking big money.

ATL_eagle said...

Miz:

I don't think there is bad blood between Day and Addazio. I think it is more about Addazio's pride. When Day was still here, he clearly bristled about Day getting credit. Then last year was such a disaster, that moving back to Day would be a partial admission that the Offense was a mess without him. Right now Addazio can still spin last year's struggles on youth and injuries.

The Boston Series said...

Dream on. Kelly is out of football for 2 years so he can collect remaining 13 million on contract. Dazzle is here for at least that long. When Kelly comes back he'll want to coach a team that can win quickly. He'd never want to try to clean up the mess that the Spazio/Dazio years will have left behind.

diabetic tackle said...

Bill

"When Day was still here, he clearly bristled about Day getting credit"

How did you discern this ?

JBQ said...

Tom Coughlin will soon be out of a job. It would be a good move for BC to bring him in as interim AD to "sort out the mess". That is presuming that Bates takes the Michigan job. With the hiring of Brown by Michigan, that would appear to be the case.

Hoib said...

B series

Someone on BCI speculated Kelly to the Titans. Makes allot of sense to me.

ATL_eagle said...

diabetic tackle:

Go read some of his interviews during Day's time and after. When Day left Addazio forcefully said "we ran MY offense" and "this is MY offense."

Hoib said...

ATL

What is said in the press, after someone leaves is all spin. What happens in the room between them is what matters. If there is any insight out there I'd love to know it.

mod34b said...

When someone suggested that Daz might be hired by Michigan, I thought it was absurd. It was.

When someone suggested that Don Brown would be hired by Michigan I thought it was a baseless rumor. It was not

When someone said that Brad Bates might be selected as Michigan AD (with the help of GDF) I am thinking (hoping, praying) that it might be possible.

Now this suggestion that Chip Kelly might be a possibility to coach BC, I think it is absurd.

In fact, I think of the words of that great philosopher from Springfield MA, Ted Geisel.

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities

- Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss


But, while few stranger positive things have happened for BC football, I guess Chip to BC is possible.... nah....

Bravesbill said...

Number 1, the notion that Kelly reached out to BC while coaching a Top 5 program at the time strains all credulity. There's no fathomable reason why he would do that, esp. if his goal was to coach in the NFL. Number 2, I don't think Kelly has any interest going back to college football. Philadelphia's decision to fire him is comical, as he had pretty good success his first two years. He would be a top pick for NFL teams that fire their coach after the season.

mod34b said...

Here is an Internet laugh. Some clever soul on 12/28 edited the Wikipedia entry for Ryan Day. See THIS link It was not me, but I could not be more pleased with the edit

Ryan "Empty Laminate Resume" Day (born March 12, 1979) is an American football quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played quarterback for the New Hampshire Wildcats from 1998 to 2001 before he began his coaching career in 2002. He was the offensive coordinator for Temple in 2012, as well as the offensive coordinator for Boston College from 2013 to 2014. He was hired as the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterbacks coach on January 22, 2015

bceagle91 said...

Does anyone out there think BC would spend the money it would take to get Kelly here?

CT said...

I think this post is really early for April 1st.

GP11 said...

If Kelly told BC that he wants to be the head coach, BC could easily find the boosters to pledge all of the money it would take to pay his salary.

Having read everything about Chip, it seems like anything is truly on the table. Staying in the NFL, going to a power college program, or taking over a school like BC to re-prove his ability to build a middle of the pack program into a title contender. After the pressure cooker of Oregon and then the NFL, a program like BC without the overbearing booster culture could be a breath of fresh air that he is looking for. Who knows? Fun to dream.

Hooper said...

In my naivety I always believed BC could be a top tier FBS program. Sure we would have some down years like all other programs, but not down decades. I admire Bill for for his optimism here on getting someone like Kelly, but it will never happen. BC is a stepping stone position for every coach or AD. You go there to do your time and move on to the Michigan's or NFL. The best thing BC could do is hire a young unproven assistant with huge potential and milk as much time out of them as possible. This is one of the problems with the Spaz and Daz hires. BC will be the end of the road for their respective HC careers. This isn't doom and gloom, just reality.

GP11 said...

Hooper,

The Kelly speculation is because of how different Chip is from most highly successful coaches (at least that's his public image). Extremely private, no family, pretty isolated in comparison to most of his top-tier compatriots. He is the one elite coach who would look at a situation like BC and think it's great for him and matches his personality.

I think everyone agrees that it's a longshot, but it's more probable than any other elite coach in the country.

GP11 said...

... along with his ties to BC and the northeast

mod34b said...

What are Chip's BC ties? Chip live BC? How do know that?

mod34b said...

*loves

Joe said...

The ties are more to the region but he coached the BC camps while at UNH and has been seen at BC pracitces numerous times when he was HC of Philly and in town for whatever reason.

Like many made the point during he basketball search, Howland could have been an OK fit at BC because he wouldn't have to deal with the he typical booster BS that comes with a lot of other jobs (which he didn't like while at a big program like UCLA).

Chip will never be able to escape the NCAA nonsense, but he could have a job where people leave him alone for the most part (boosters, media) while he does his thing at BC, wouldn't have to deal with the Nike higher ups like at Oregon, and could still get paid (BC would have to be literally made up of brain dead drooling morons not to understand the return that paying Kelly 4mm+ a year would generate)

mod34b said...

Thanks Joe....

ObserverCollege said...

GP11 said:

"...Extremely private, no family...

Bill Leahy and Jack Dunn will never hire Chip Kelly.

mod34b said...

Observer.

Chip is a "weirdo".

His wife of six years almost says why, but then doesn't - other than to say the divorce was not about a football

Chip the Weirdo

ObserverCollege said...

Thanks mod34b. I remember that article. The way she answers, saying they were young.

As I said, Leahy and Dunn would never go for Kelly.

Knucklehead said...

Has anyone heard about the NCAA violations at Oregon? Maybe Chippy reached out to Boston College because he thought the writing was on the wall at Oregon and was trying to pull a Petey Carroll by getting out while he could.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/6/26/4028244/oregon-football-ncaa-sanctions-penalties

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9424556/oregon-ducks-put-probation-ncaa-lose-scholarship