Another firing finds a Duck legend in need of another reset

He used to be the most celebrated college football coach in America, a play-calling wizard who crafted an offensive design that shocked opponents on the way to 50 points a game, a 46-7 record, three straight conferences titles and phone calls from Erin Andrews.

Yesterday Las Vegas fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after a 2-9 start. The Raiders ranked 30th in the NFL in scoring at 15.5 points a game. Fifteen years ago he was Associated Press Coach of the Year after leading the Ducks to a 13-1 mark and the national championship game.

Kelly's rise and fall was accompanied by acerbic press conference quips and quarrels with players who chafed at his sleep-monitoring and task-mastering ways. He had another fabulous success last year as Ohio State offensive coordinator, drawing up plays for Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and the national champion Buckeyes.

His dismissal sets up several intriguing possibilities.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is a top head coaching candidate with more than a dozen jobs open in the FBS and more to come, including Florida, LSU, Penn State, UCLA and now Cal.

In a cruel NIL/portal era, coaches look for a place to rebuild

Reuniting with his old quarterback Ryan Day in Columbus seems like a smart career move. Another possibility would be returning to Oregon as an analyst or coordinator should Tosh Lupoi or Will Stein get tapped for a head coaching job.

While a return to Eugene has resonance and strong emotional appeal, Kelly doesn't fit the profile Dan Lanning has established over five hiring cycles. He's gravitated to young, dynamic, rising coaches with strong recruiting energy. The New Hampshire native has always been a reluctant recruiter, though his Oregon staff achieved some notable coups like Colt Lyerla, De'Anthony Thomas, Thomas Tyner and Arik Armstead.

In years past Nick Saban at Alabama served as the unofficial Celebrity Coaching rehab, resurrecting the careers of Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, Tosh Lupoi and Mario Cristobal after career setbacks. With Saban on the ESPN College Football GameDay desk now, that role is open. Lanning, with his driving energy and knack for program-building and management, seems a prime candidate to take it over.

Deposed coaches with damaged reputations like Kelly, Josh Wilcox, Hugh Freeze, Billy Napier and Mike Gundy comprise a fertile brain trust in need of a coach rejuvenation, although some will be content to collect buyouts and ride it out in a fishing shack somewhere. Lanning's innovation and attention to detail could be the spark that recharges a couple of them who still have ambition and a passion for the game.