Chip Kelly: Oregon Coach Reportedly Close to Deal with Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Could the spread offense be the next big thing in the NFL?

It just might, if reports out of Oregon prove to be true.

According to KGW in Portland, Oregon Ducks head football coach Chip Kelly is close to signing a deal to assume the same position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed the report, and Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times says that a deal could be struck within the next day or two:

Kelly has never coached in the NFL, but has proven to be a rousing success in the collegiate ranks. He's led the Ducks to Pac-10/Pac-12 titles and BCS bowl berths in each of his three seasons since taking over for Mike Belotti in Eugene. Those include a spot in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game and a victory in the 2012 Rose Bowl Game—the school's first win in the Granddaddy of Them All in 95 years.

Kelly's departure would only be the latest in a string of devastating departures for the Oregon football team. Few in Eugene were surprised to see former Heisman Trophy contender LaMichael James jump into the 2012 NFL Draft, but more than a few heads were left thoroughly scratched when quarterback Darron Thomas announced that he'd skip his senior season to go pro.

Kelly would be become the third Pac-10/Pac-12 coach in as many years to bolt the conference for a professional gig. Pete Carroll ditched USC for the Seattle Seahawks two years ago, just in time to dodge NCAA sanctions related to the Reggie Bush scandal, and Jim Harbaugh jumped from Stanford to the San Francisco 49ers, despite the Cardinal keeping Andrew Luck on hand.

Both Carroll and Harbaugh went on to win the NFC West title in their first years on the job.

The Bucs' coaching vacancy opened up shortly after the end of the 2011 regular season with the firing of Raheem Morris. Morris spent six years as a defensive coach in Tampa before ascending to the top job following Jon Gruden's dismissal in January of 2009. He subsequently led the Bucs to a 17-31 record, following up a promising 10-6 season in 2010 with a 4-12 mark in 2011.

A 10-game slide to close out the most recent campaign essentially sealed Morris' fate. He has since signed on to serve as the defensive backs coach for the Washington Redskins.

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