Chip Kelly Denies Interest in USC Head Coaching Vacancy

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly emphatically denied Thursday he had any interest in returning to the college coaching ranks.

"No. No. No. No. No," Kelly responded when asked if the USC Trojans had approached him about taking over the head coaching position, per Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com. The Trojans fired Steve Sarkisian earlier in the week.

With openings at USC, Maryland and South Carolina, and the Eagles' disjointed start to the NFL season, fans and pundits alike have wondered whether Kelly could follow the paths of Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh and Bobby Petrino.

According to Kempski, Kelly has a different coach in mind—Tom Coughlin:

"

I understand it. It's going to happen. If we're not successful and we're not winning, (the talk will be that) I came from college and I'm going to go back to college.

I hope some day to be like coach Coughlin and win enough games where I can stay around long enough where that speculation ends. But I understand you have to ask the question. I answered it the same way a year ago, and I answered it the same way my first year here.

"

Kelly did joke he was in discussions with one college, per Matt Lombardo of NJ Advance Media:

At the very least, the idea of Kelly moving to Los Angeles may not be without merit. On Oct. 9, Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel wrote, "USC had strong interest in Kelly when it hired Sarkisian." NFL Network's Albert Breer added the same day that Kelly "has long been said to have eyes for the USC job."

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman is much more skeptical:

Kelly is in a no-win situation here in terms of quashing the rumors.

No matter how much he publicly denies any interest in taking over at USC or any other university, a certain segment of fans will remain adamant he'll leave Philadelphia. Those same people will also jump on any occasion Kelly offers anything but a stern rebuke to the speculation.

The comparison to Coughlin by Kelly might be especially astute in this instance. The only way he can put the conjecture to bed for good is by staying in the NFL for a number of years and consistently winning games. He has to back up his strong words with equally strong action.