Bolts From The Blue
Chip Kelly spent time facing both Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh in the Pac-10 when he was head coach of Oregon from 2009-2012.
On Sunday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is taking the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders, solidifying one of Pete Carroll’s biggest hires since taking over as head coach.
Kelly only spent one season with the Buckeyes but he was instrumental in helping Ohio State win the first ever College Football Playoff. Under his guidance, the offense averaged 36.3 points per game in four playoff contests. During the regular season, OSU ranked 29th in total offense (429.4), 57th in rushing (166.4), and 29th in passing (263.0).
The trio of Carroll, Kelly, and Jim Harbaugh actually goes back almost two decades when all three were members of the Pac-10. Then, Carroll was still at USC, Kelly was Oregon, and Harbaugh was at Stanford. The connections continue from there as Kelly spent one season as the head coach of the 49ers just two years after Harbaugh left to coach at Michigan.
Kelly’s addition to the AFC West only further brightens the star power within the division. Him and Carroll surely have the most work cut out for them as Kelly now goes from a talent-rich Ohio State offense to a Raiders club that features All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and not much else.
