As Ohio State packs its bags for the trip to Pasadena to play Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is making sure he has his fill of one item.
“I need to buy more sunscreen,” he said, chuckling a little. “We haven’t seen the sun in a while here in Columbus.”
Kelly returns to the sidelines where 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 a job he left last February to take charge of Ohio State. offence. While the move – and its timing – may have burned bridges among several Angelenos, the significance of playing in the Rose Bowl is not lost on him.
“The game itself, and the Rose Bowl itself, it’s such an iconic place to play,” Kelly said. “To be on the west coast for that two o’clock kick-off on January 1 is special. I’m excited. [It’s] an opportunity to also coach in a different role, I think that will be very special.”
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Voluntarily moving from head coach to coordinator was unheard of when Kelly left for Columbus just before spring training was set to begin, but his comments Saturday morning were similar to those of other high-profile college coaches who called it quits in the NIL era.
Kelly is no longer the CEO who has to divide his attention between NIL, boosters, administration, recruitment and the transfer portal, he is now the branch manager who only has to deal with the X’s and O’s.
“There’s been a lot more football and a lot less general meetings that I think a head coach has to do.” he said. “Sometimes I think as a head coach you wear a lot of different hats. As a coordinator and as a quarterbacks coach, it’s obviously a little different.
“So it’s been fun, I really enjoy being in the meeting room with players every day. As a head coach you bounce around to different meeting rooms, but as a coordinator you’re with the quarterbacks all together. So I really 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 a head coach. Occasionally during their meetings, Kelly will bring out films from his time with the Eagles, highlighting key players from Howard’s childhood.
“He coached some of the best players I watched as a kid,” Howard said. “And getting to work with him, and being on the same page with him on a lot of things, the more that’s happened this year… I feel like we’re on the same page right now, damn good. ”
Howard’s veteran presence has bolstered Kelly, who often brings his QB1 to the game plan meetings. They can bounce ideas off each other for different situations, and Howard has the experience to give his opinion on situations because he’s been in them before, he can push back on certain calls and explain why he might not agree with them. , and makes suggestions himself.
That experience has made Howard invaluable to Kelly.
“I think our relationship has just gotten better and better as the year has gone on,” Howard said. “I really enjoyed my time with him and working with him. We had a good time with it and we want to end it the right way.”
Howard isn’t the only quarterback in the Rose Bowl with 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 looked after Kelly at UCLA.
Kelly had been watching Gabriel 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 entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season, Gabriel announced his commitment to the Bruins before ultimately transferring to the Sooners a month later.
Read more: Analysis: After years of quietly quitting, Chip Kelly admits he didn’t want to work at UCLA
None of Gabriel’s success has surprised Kelly. His accuracy, composure in the pocket and athleticism have made Kelly a long-time admirer of his.
“There’s a look about him that I think is special for the quarterback position,” Kelly said of Gabriel. “It doesn’t seem like there’s much shaking going on. Really has a good understanding of what they want to accomplish there, and is also very athletic so he can beat you with his legs if you take away some of his options from a throwing standpoint. So I think he’s the complete package and one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
As the Rose Bowl approached, Kelly reflected on his personal growth over the past year in his role with the Buckeyes, and he claims he still carries his experiences as a Bruin with him.
“I think you’re always a product of your environment, so to be around this group, the players and of course this coaching staff, everyone has to get better,” Kelly said. “So I think it’s a special time that I had the opportunity to spend some time with this group.
“I had a great time when I was at UCLA, I also had a great staff there and an incredible group of players. So I think [I’m] I’ve just been very lucky with everyone that I’ve had the opportunity to be around over the last seven years.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
