Chip Kelly Shoots Down USC Coaching Rumors


Photo by: Jeff Fusco.

Photo by: Jeff Fusco.

The question posed to Chip Kelly during his press conference Thursday was straightforward.

Has anybody from the University of Southern California contacted you about the football team’s head coaching job?

Kelly’s answer was equally straightforward.

“No.”

Any other schools? South Carolina?

“No, no, no.”

Kelly joked about the “North Texas State Armadillos” being the only team that had contacted him.

“Just keep asking these questions at the press conference, it’ll be over quicker,” Kelly joked. “What do you want to talk about? Let’s talk about another college.”

When reporters explained that they have an obligation to ask Kelly questions about college jobs, he responded with understanding but admitted annoyance.

“I know you have an obligation, and I understand that. It’s going to happen,” Kelly said. “We’re not successful, we’re not winning, I came from college, and I’m going to go back to college. I hope someday to be like Coach [Tom] Coughlin and win enough games where I can stay around long enough and that speculation can end.

“But I understand you have to ask the question. I answered it the same way a year ago, I answered it the same way my first year. It’s just an unfortunate part of the game, because the other part of it is people have lost their jobs, and somebody, a friend of mine in Steve Sarkisian, who is dealing with a big issue right now, and I wish him the best. That’s how I look at that situation.”

When asked whether reports tying him to college jobs might undermine his authority in the Eagles’ locker room, Kelly wasn’t concerned.

“They could care less,” Kelly said of his players. “Ask them, I guess. I don’t think Jason Kelce is really concerned because my name came up with a college.”