Chip Kelly is back in football. Sort of.
ESPN announced Friday it has hired the former Oregon coach as a member of its ever-growing roster of football analysts. He'll provide commentary as a member of ESPN2's studio crew and work SportsCenter on NFL Sundays.
“Over the last 30 years, I have experienced football from one perspective – as a coach,” Kelly said in a statement. “Working in television will allow me to see the game from a different angle; simultaneously, I‘ll provide viewers an insight to the mindset of a coach and team while offering alternative views of various situations.”
It's a bit surprising ESPN couldn't find a larger role for the most high-profile out-of-work yet current coach in both college football and the NFL, but it'll be good to have Kelly back in the game again.
Kelly has not worked in college football since leaving Oregon after a 46-7 run that saw him lead the Ducks to three Pac-12 championships, four New Year's Six bowl games and a national championship appearance from 2009-12. He went 26-21 as the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach from 2013-15 and 2-14 in one season as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.