UCLA and Head Coach Chip Kelly Agree to New Contract Until 2027

UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly in 2021
UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly in 2021. Photo by Sean Brown/CSM/Shutterstock (12541287w)

Chip Kelly’s time as the head coach of UCLA has been far from spectacular, but the university’s athletic board obviously still believes he is the right person to lead the Bruins. As a statement of their support, the board decided to hand Kelly a new extension on Friday, keeping him with their football program through the 2027 season.

UCLA confirmed the extension but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement. Kelly signed his most recent contract extension in January 2022, which was reportedly valued at a total of $23 million for four years.

Since joining the Bruins in 2018, Kelly has failed to reach double digits in wins, lift a Bowl trophy, or get near the college playoffs. However, the team improved in each of his four seasons at the helm, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, giving UCL enough reasons to be optimistic about the future.

The Bruins finished the 2022 campaign with a 9-4 record, their best since 2015. They wrapped up the season with a 37-35 loss to Pittsburgh Panthers in the Sun Bowl.

“I am excited about our football program under the leadership of Coach Kelly and his talented staff,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement. “The football program is on an upward trajectory, both on the field and in the classroom. Coach Kelly and his staff have done a tremendous job developing young men as demonstrated by their academic excellence.”

Chip Kelly is best known for his time with the Oregon Ducks, where he had double-digits in wins for four straight seasons and won three Pac-12 titles between 2009 and 2012. He also coached the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL.

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