DucksReign wrote:

The LA Times pulls no punches when it hammers any one of its many hometown teams and / or coaches and this article is no exception.

I am rooting for Chip...goodness knows the Pac-12, Larry Scott aside, needs ANY of its football head coaches "to do something of significance" besides Cristobal.

As the only head coach in the Pac-12 to be a head coach in a National Championship Game, Kelly's window at UCLA has to be shrinking.

In my opinion, after watching them in a number of games this season, they have the most issues on defense. Thus I agree with the suggestion in the article that a new DC is in order.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2020-12-21/analysis-hey-chip-kelly-you-need-to-get-it-together-now-or-its-over

Sounds like whatever honeymoon there was is over. I like Azzinaro as a D line coach, but not a defensive coordinator. CK will do what he wants, I believe, and let the Chips fall where they may: he's just a little stubborn
 

Jiffy Jeff wrote:

I like Chip, I really do.  But I have to question his ability to actually build a program at any level.  Anymore, the Head Coach at a P5 university is really a CEO position, unlike the NFL or even at G5 and lower level programs.  He is loyal to the guys who helped him to earn the big paycheck, but he needs to understand this is "show business" and not "show friends."  He did not build Oregon and he left it in the hands of his buddy when he bolted...

My free advice to him would be to can the entire defensive staff and hire a high-profile DC who will be given free reign to build his staff and install his scheme.  Swing for the fences as this may be your last out as a HC at the P5 or pro level anyway...

Good points. He did build the offensive style in his first 2-years as OC but yeah for all intensive purpose, Bellotti had built the program to a good level already and the coaching staff was largely in place when Kelly became the head coach.

I am guessing no head coach wants to be in the position of having those above them give the directive "you get to stay for now but we want staffing changes made at..."

But that is probably coming with UCLA's new AD unless Kelly makes a pre-emptive move to replace some staff.

Let's face it... within a 5 mile radius of the UCLA campus, there are easily enough alumni to buy out his contract and I wouldn't be surprised if the AD has received such offers.

I checked and UCLA is 2nd in the Pac-12 in Scoring Offense but 8th in Scoring Defense.

Chip has self-confidence second to no head coach I know of which of course can be bad and good.