Mired in a three-game losing streak heading into Week 5, Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly says he has no plans to jump ship to return to the Pac-12 and take the USC job.
"I'm the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm very, very excited to be here," Kelly told reporters on Thursday. "Not entertaining anything like that. I'm here."
Kelly was asked on Tuesday about NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt's report that listed him among the top candidates to replace Lane Kiffin, who was fired after last week's loss to Arizona State. Kelly "emphatically said no," he is not a candidate, Fox 29 TV's Howard Eskin reported.
Brandt wrote on Sunday that he would not be shocked to see Kelly leave the Eagles after only one season and questioned whether Kelly is a good fit for the NFL. However, Brandt also pointed out a return to college for Kelly could be complicated by the NCAA sanctions against Oregon, which included an 18-month show-cause penalty against Kelly.
Of course, USC still has another year of the Reggie Bush sanctions before it can return to the full scholarships level.
Kelly transformed Oregon into one of the nation's elite programs as head coach from 2009-12. Jeffrey Lurie hired Kelly to do the same thing in Philadelphia, but his much-hyped up-tempo offense has produced only 36 points in the past two games after scoring 63 in the first two games.
Watching a head coach make the jump from college to the pros only to have a brief, unsuccessful stay in the NFL before returning to the college ranks is not without precedent. Bobby Petrino didn't even last a full season before he dumped the Falcons and took the Arkansas job, and Nick Saban firmly denied he was leaving the Dolphins for Alabama before doing just that after two seasons in Miami.
