Bill Belichick’s first year at North Carolina was, to put it charitably, a disaster. The Tar Heels limped to a 4-8 finish with an offense that ranked 119th in the FBS in scoring at a putrid 19.3 points per game and 129th in total offense at just 288.8 yards per game. On Friday, Bill Belichick pulled the plug on offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens. And now, according to early reports from On3, there’s one name generating serious buzz to replace Kitchens. It’s former Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
“The former UCLA head coach and Ohio State offensive coordinator recently interviewed for the Georgia Tech offensive coordinator opening,” Pete Nakos reported. “Chip Kelly returned to the NFL this year with the Raiders but was fired in November. He helped Ohio State win a national championship last season as the quarterback coach and offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes, developing quarterback Will Howard.”
“He directed the No. 14 scoring offense (35.7 points per game) and the No. 30 total offense (429.4 yards per game) in the nation last season. Kelly and Bill Belichick have a long-standing friendship, dating back to Kelly’s time as an offensive coordinator at UNH.”
That last detail is crucial. These two go way back, and Belichick has shown throughout his career that he trusts people he knows. Kelly would be a home run hire for North Carolina if Bill Belichick can pull it off. The 62-year-old has proven he can win at the college level. He turned Oregon into a national powerhouse with his innovative spread offense before brief stints at Philadelphia and San Francisco in the NFL.
His return to college football last season with Ohio State was an immediate success. He co-coordinated (alongside Brian Hartline) an offense that won the national championship while developing Will Howard into a legitimate NFL prospect.
But Kelly’s $18 million tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders this season was a complete disaster. He was fired in November after the Raiders’ offense cratered, which is why he’s suddenly available and interviewing for coordinator jobs again.
But the interesting thing is that Chip Kelly just might have another option that would be way more appealing for him. Ohio State’s offensive coordinator job just opened as Brian Hartline bolted for the USF head coaching job. Hartline is staying with the Buckeyes through the College Football Playoff. But OSU will need a new OC for 2026. And Kelly already knows the program, the personnel, and the expectations. If Ohio State comes calling, that might be too good to pass up, even for an old friend.
Day stayed tight-lipped on Kelly
Before the Michigan game, Ryan Day didn’t entertain any Chip Kelly speculation. And he made that crystal clear when reporters asked about a potential reunion during rivalry week.
“I would say I’m not thinking about that right now,” Day said as Ohio State prepared for Michigan. “It’s just too much going on. I do think, right now, we have great chemistry, but we’ve got to be on our game as a coaching staff this week. We’ve got to be clean. We’ve got to be great with our meetings. We’ve got to be great on the field and allow the guys to play really, really fast.”
Kelly was fired by the Raiders just days earlier following a 24-10 loss to the Browns. But the thing is, at that point, Brian Hartline did not bolt to USF. That’s a relatively recent factor. Day might have known Hartline’s decision at that point, but it was not hinted. Of course, Day’s non-answer doesn’t mean the conversation won’t happen eventually.
Kelly and Day go way back. Kelly was the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire when Day played quarterback there from 1998 to 2001. Day worked on Kelly’s staff with both the Eagles and 49ers before they reunited last season in Columbus, where Kelly called plays for the national championship team. Now with Brian Hartline bolting for the South Florida head coaching job, the stars could be aligning for another collaboration.