While UCLA's cross-town rival USC was busy on the recruiting trail, Chip Kelly was interviewing for coaching jobs. Both UCLA and USC are moving to the Big 10 next season, as are Oregon and Washington. All four programs but one managed to succeed at retaining core players and recruiting some of the best available talent in high school to help ease the transition into a more competitive conference. UCLA is the school that stood out in their inability to do so.
Longtime L.A. Times columnist and sports media legend Bill Plaschke wrote this week about Kelly's move from head coach at UCLA to offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
"A cowardly reverse," wrote Plaschke. "He’s doing it at such an unconscionably late date that most of the recruits had been signed, and many of the top transfers were gone, and now UCLA has essentially lost an entire season? Classy. Professional. Disgusting."
UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond was quoted in a report from the Associated Press commenting on Kelly's departure, adding that the "timing is a challenge". Jarmond continued:
In the same AP report, Ralph Russo wrote that Kelly's buyout would be 1.5 million. Kelly had recently signed an extension with UCLA to keep him around until at least the 2027 season. Kelly was once the highest paid public employees in the state of California. It's likely that whomever Jarmond and his team choose as the next head coach for UCLA will hold the same title.
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