As Ohio State packs its bags for the trip to Pasadena to play Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is making sure he has enough of one particular item.
“I gotta get more sunscreen,” he said as he chuckled a bit. “We haven’t seen the sun in a little while out here in Columbus.”
Kelly will be returning to the sideline he roamed for six years as head coach of the UCLA Bruins, a job that once made him the highest-paid state employee in California, and one he stepped down from last February to take the reins of Ohio State’s offense. While the move — and the timing of it — might have burned bridges with several Angelenos, the significance of playing in the Rose Bowl isn’t lost on him.
“The game itself, and the Rose Bowl itself, it’s such an iconic place to play,” Kelly said. “To be at that 2 o’clock kickoff on the West Coast, and on Jan. 1, it’s special. I’m excited. [It’s] an opportunity to coach in another role as well, I think that’s going to be really special.”
Going from head coach to coordinator voluntarily was something unheard of when Kelly bolted for Columbus just before spring practice was set to begin, but his comments on Saturday morning sounded similar to other high profile college coaches who have called it quits in the NIL era.
Kelly is no longer the chief executive officer that needs to divide his attention between NIL, boosters, administration, recruiting and the transfer portal, he’s now the branch manager that only needs to concern himself with the Xs and O’s.
“It’s been a lot more football and a lot less overall meetings I think that a head coach has to do.” he said. “Sometimes, I think as a head coach, you wear a lot of different hats. Obviously as a coordinator and just coaching the quarterbacks, it’s a little bit different.
“So it’s been fun, really enjoy being back in the meeting room with players on a day-to-day basis. As a head coach, you bounce around to different meeting rooms, but as the coordinator, you’re with the quarterbacks all the time. So I really have enjoyed that aspect of it.”
The feeling is mutual for his starting quarterback, Will Howard, whose upbringing as a Philadelphia Eagles fan coincided with Kelly’s years as their head coach. Occasionally during their meetings, Kelly will pull up film from his time with the Eagles, highlighting key players from Howard’s childhood.
“He’s coached some of the best players that I grew up watching,” Howard said. “And just getting to work with him, and just getting to be on the same page with him about a lot of things, the more that this year has gone on … I feel like we’re in sync right now, pretty damn well.”
Howard’s veteran presence has invigorated Kelly, who often brings his QB1 into the game-plan meetings. They’re able to bounce ideas for different situations off of each other, and Howard has the experience to give his opinion on situations because he’s been in them before, he’s able to push back on certain calls, explain why he might not agree with them, and give suggestions of his own.
That experience has made Howard invaluable to Kelly.
“I think our relationship has just gotten better and better as the year’s gone on,” Howard said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with him and working with him. We’ve had a good time with it, and we want to finish this thing the right way.”
Howard isn’t the only quarterback in the Rose Bowl that has ties to Kelly.
A few years before Dillon Gabriel became a Heisman Trophy finalist for the Oregon Ducks, and even before he made a name for himself at Oklahoma, Gabriel almost suited up for Kelly at UCLA.
Kelly had his eye on Gabriel ever since he was at Mililani High in Hawaii, where he set a state record with 9,948 career passing yards. His first two years were spent at Central Florida and when he hit the transfer portal after the 2021 season, Gabriel announced his commitment to the Bruins before ultimately flipping to the Sooners a month later.
None of Gabriel’s success has surprised Kelly. His accuracy, calmness in the pocket and athleticism have made Kelly a longtime admirer of his.
“There’s a poise about him that I think is kind of special for the quarterback position,” Kelly said of Gabriel. “Doesn’t seem to get rattled too much. Really has a true understanding of what they want to get accomplished there, and is also really athletic so that if you take away some of his options from a throw standpoint, he can beat you with his legs. So I think he’s the complete package, and one of the top quarterbacks in the country.”
With the Rose Bowl looming, Kelly reflected on his personal growth over the past year in his role with the Buckeyes, and he maintains that he still carries his experiences as a Bruin with him.
“I think anytime, you’re a product of your environment, so to be able to be around this group, the players and obviously this coaching staff here has to make anybody better,” Kelly said. “So I think the fact that I got a chance to spend some time with this group is truly a special time.
“I had a great time when I was at UCLA, I had a great staff and an unbelievable group of players there too. So I think [I’m] just really fortunate with everybody that I’ve got a chance to be around the last seven years.”
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