Chip Kelly Will Stay at Oregon

Once again Oregon’s head coach flirted with the NFL but the end result was the same as a year ago. Chip Kelly will return to the sidelines at Oregon for at least another year, landing the biggest surprise news of the weekend. The shock leaves everyone wondering how close he was to getting one of the teams targeting him and how much he really wanted to leave.

Jan 3, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly (left) and quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) celebrate after the 2013 Fiesta Bowl against the Kansas State Wildcats at University of Phoenix Stadium. Oregon defeated Kansas 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

As soon at late Sunday night, multiple sources started reporting that Kelly would indeed be staying at Oregon for another year. He had lengthy interviews with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles over the weekend, talks lasting multiple hours but Kelly left both of those meetings without a deal signed.

It’ll likely never be known how close Kelly was to getting a job with these teams. As usual, he’ll be tight-lipped about it and will joke around with reporters that ask about it. At least he was true to his word, he said the process would be quick, and talking to two teams and making a decision in three days was pretty quick.

The good news is that Kelly will be returning to an Oregon Ducks squad that will return many of their players, including Marcus Mariota and De’Anthony Thomas. Considering this defense was the best he’s had in his four seasons, it’s intriguing to look at how much this team will be improved on both sides of the ball.

But how long will Kelly stay at Oregon? Will the third time be a charm after next season when he talks to the NFL and he’ll finally find the right fit? If the Ducks won a national championship, would he have gone to the next level? Did Kelly not want to have a cloud hanging over him for bolting to the NFL with potential NCAA penalties coming?

Honestly, does he really even care about these things? Probably not. The bottom line is that he likely just didn’t find the right fit or the team he was being interviewed with didn’t like it either. Either way, regardless of what the NCAA does, Kelly will be at Oregon for another season. Ducks fans are already counting down to next football season.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor of Autzen Zoo and Clones Confidential. Follow more Oregon Ducks coverage with the zoo on Twitter.