Chip Kelly: Why He Is Wrong to Stay with Oregon Ducks

The college football world was in an uproar yesterday when reports surfaced of Oregon head coach Chip Kelly's possible departure for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Before most sportswriters across the country could begin penning their kudos or how-dare-he's, a report was released today stating that Kelly was not going to accept the Bucs' offer, citing "unfinished business" at Oregon, according to a report released by the university.

The initial report came after announcements that Oregon star running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas would be forgoing their senior seasons to throw their hats into the NFL draft.

Understandably, the prospect of also losing their head coach had many Ducks fans worried. You could all but hear the collective sigh in Eugene when the reports of Kelly's decision were released early this morning.

But was staying at Oregon the right decision? Here are some reasons why I don't think he made the right decision.

Sanctions

The Oregon fans, coaches and players know all too well the power of NCAA sanctions. They just have to look to their rival in the South division, USC.

The Trojans are just now coming off of a two-year postseason ban and still have reduced scholarships for the next couple of years because of sanctions imposed on them by the NCAA in conjunction with the Reggie Bush scandal.

The Oregon Ducks have benefited the most from USC's sanctions, winning the conference title the last three years and snagging top recruits away from Los Angeles in the process.

That good fortune might come back to bite the Ducks, though, as the NCAA's four-month investigation of Oregon's possible improper recruiting practices in connection with Willie Lyles has begun to garner national attention again.

When Chip Kelly's departure was first reported, many people likened it to Pete Carroll jumping ship just before the NCAA came down on USC.

Despite reports from ESPN's Joe Schad that Kelly doesn't believe the NCAA sanctions will be very severe, there's still a possibility that Oregon might face similar restrictions to USC, and that Kelly might lose his job.

Either Kelly knows something we don't, or he is risking a lot of money to stay at Oregon.

Which brings me to my next point...

Money

Chip Kelly made close to $3 million in 2011. That puts him in the top 10 percent of college coaches.

For comparison, Pete Carroll, who had a very mediocre record in his first NFL stint, made $6.7 million in his first season for the Seattle Seahawks.

While it's true that Carroll had previous coaching experience in the NFL and was a more established coach in the collegiate ranks, it's safe to assume that Kelly would have been making considerably more with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I understand that money is not the driving force in everyone's decisions, but Kelly giving away guaranteed millions for an uncertain future at Oregon is not the wisest decision he has ever made. I hope, for his sake, that it doesn't backfire on him.

Loss of Talent

The loss of LaMichael James and Darron Thomas is a huge blow for the Oregon Ducks. James' backup, Kenjon Barner, and freshman phenom De'Anthony Thomas are sure to keep Oregon's ground game up to the expectations that have been built during Chip Kelly's tenure at Oregon, but the big question mark is at quarterback.

Freshman Bryan Bennett saw some playing time this past season filling in for an injured Darron Thomas in games against Colorado and Washington State, in addition to cleanup duty in blowouts.

Bennett played well in his two starts, so much so that there was a clamor in Eugene to make him the starter over Thomas even after he was back from injury.

Oregon fans should note that, although Bennett played well, he was playing against inferior opponents. I doubt those same supporters would have been so enthusiastic about having Bennett start in the game against USC.

The real issue with Bennett is not his lack of skill, but his lack of experience, which Kelly knows is not something to be overlooked.

Luckily for Bennett, Oregon has a fairly easy schedule to start the season in 2012, and Oregon won't see a real challenge until October 6, when they host the Washington Huskies.

Hopefully Bennett will have become an expert in Kelly's offense by the time the Ducks travel to USC on November 3, or Kelly might be lamenting his days with Thomas.

Uncertainty

Nothing shatters a player's confidence like having the coach that recruited him leaving for greener pastures.

While Kelly didn't actually leave for the NFL, the fact that he seriously considered it should (and probably does) worry future recruits. Knowing that your coach might not be your coach for your whole career might be the deciding factor between going to Oregon or another school.

The mere act of negotiating leaving has seriously hurt Kelly's credibility, and that's not something that you want to do when you're competing with USC for big-name players.

By considering a change, Kelly might have inadvertently made his eventual decision to stay that much more difficult.

But if Kelly has proven anything over his three years as head coach in Eugene, it's that he is full of surprises.

Expectations

Chip Kelly has an impressive 34-6 record in three years at Oregon. Add to that three conference titles, three consecutive BCS bowl games and the university's first Rose Bowl win in 95 years, and you have the makings of a legend in Eugene.

Kelly receives a lot (if not all) of the credit for turning Oregon's football program around. With that credit, though, comes expectations.

When Kelly started his head coaching career in Eugene, just getting to the Rose Bowl equaled an amazing season for the Ducks faithful. The next season, he parlayed that into a BCS National Championship game appearance. On the back of a Rose Bowl championship season, Oregon fans and alumni won't settle for anything less than national prominence every season.

That's a lot of pressure for even the most-established coaches in the most-established programs, let alone a relative newcomer like Oregon. If Kelly can't keep the momentum of the last few seasons going, he might be on the way out.

If Kelly had taken the Tampa Bay job in the NFL, he'd be looking at a rebuilding year for a cellar-dwelling team. That's not to say that there wouldn't be expectations, but nothing compared to the legacy he's build at Oregon.

If Kelly can't keep the magic alive at Oregon, he might regret his decision to stay.