He’s coming into the fifth yr of an costly and so-far unproductive challenge, however coach Chip Kelly stays as defiantly evasive as he was when he made his celebrated arrival at UCLA.
Talking Friday at Pac-12 media day, the state’s highest-paid public worker didn’t wish to outline what a profitable season can be for his group.
He didn’t wish to mirror on his program’s evolution below him.
And he undoubtedly didn’t wish to acknowledge that he has to show to his college’s administration that he’s the fitting coach to guide UCLA into the Massive Ten in two years.
“I’ve by no means frightened about my contract my whole life,” Kelly mentioned. “I’m blessed simply that I get an opportunity to teach soccer.”
His refusal to deal with actuality didn’t change his predicament.
Kelly has to ship outcomes.
UCLA’s roster is his, made up virtually solely of gamers he recruited.
He has a fifth-year quarterback in Dorian Thompson-Robinson and one of the best working again within the convention in Zach Charbonnet.
His group was 8-4 final season and its schedule is as tender as Bruins defenses below Kelly, beginning with gimmies towards Bowling Inexperienced, Alabama State and South Alabama.
The Bruins can win 10 video games. They need to win 10 video games.
“Success is having a extremely good Friday,” Kelly mentioned, recycling one in all his go-to cliches.
Kelly smirked.
“That half doesn’t change,” he mentioned.
A lot has modified from the primary time Kelly represented the Bruins at this convention’s media day, nevertheless.
The Bruins aren’t the Gutty Little Bruins anymore. They’re now the Wasteful Spending Bruins.
They've paid Kelly greater than $4 million a yr. They as soon as spent greater than $5 million in a season to feed their gamers. They spent $65 million on their state-of-the-art coaching facility.
This system has grow to be the soccer equal of California’s high-speed rail, its prices unjustifiable and its outcomes indefensible.
Kelly’s file at UCLA is 18-25, the worst file of any coach at school historical past who lasted 4 seasons.
One way or the other, Kelly managed to not solely to maintain his job but additionally obtain a brand new four-year contract.
The important thing was within the particulars.
If Kelly is fired after Dec. 16 of subsequent yr, UCLA wouldn’t owe him one other dime.
In different phrases, athletic director Martin Jarmond can take the subsequent yr and a half to determine whether or not he desires Kelly teaching the Bruins of their inaugural season within the Massive Ten. If Jarmond determines Kelly would flip UCLA right into a West Coast model of Rutgers, he can search for a brand new coach with out consideration of monetary penalties.
There are not any extra excuses.
The extra eligibility that athletes gained due to the pandemic has formed the Bruins into an skilled group, with Kelly saying they have 21 gamers who have already got their bachelor’s levels.
Along with Thompson-Robinson and Charbonnet, Kelly pointed to a gaggle of fifth- and sixth-year seniors that included offensive linemen Jon Gaines II and Sam Marrazzo in addition to safeties Stephan Blaylock and Mo Osling III.
“We've loads of veteran management at key positions for us,” Kelly mentioned.
UCLA additionally has a brand new defensive coordinator in Invoice McGovern.
McGovern, an inside linebackers coach with the Chicago Bears final yr, changed one other longtime buddy of Kelly in Jerry Azzinaro.
The Bruins scored a mean of 36.5 factors final season, which ranked first within the Pac-12 and sixteenth nationally. The issue was their protection, which gave up 26.8 factors per sport and was ranked No. 75 within the nation.
Their protection has to enhance. Or else.
Kelly is aware of that.
Whereas preaching about how he was extra involved about course of than outcomes, he acknowledged, “We’re all the time outcome-aware, however we don’t make predictions.”
USC’s Lincoln Riley has taken the alternative method, because the first-year coach declared Friday that his goal is to win a nationwide championship this season.
Maybe Kelly subscribes to the speculation that if he doesn’t set any expectations publicly, he received’t be held to them. In a faculty with a fan base as crushed down as UCLA’s, he could possibly be on to one thing.
However the distinction between Kelly’s and Riley’s rhetoric was placing. That doesn’t imply they don’t share the same calls for to supply outcomes.
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