Chip Kelly visits Dolphins during OTAs
Former college and NFL head coach Chip Kelly visited the Miami Dolphins on Thursday during the team’s final OTA for the summer.
The Miami Dolphins held their final OTA on Thursday, and it included an interesting visitor. Chip Kelly, the former head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, and most recently, the San Francisco 49ers, was invited by head coach Adam Gase to attend the team’s final OTA of the summer.
The visit was a surprise by many, but it turns out that Kelly and Gase go back a little bit. When Gase was the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos in 2013, Kelly was still the head coach at the University of Oregon. Oregon is where Kelly got his recognition, heading one of the best offenses in the country.
Gase, a bit of an offensive guru himself, was intrigued by Oregon’s success and wanted to learn more. He visited Kelly in Oregon that year, and respect grew between both men.
"“He’s been through a lot … and we’ve kind of stayed in touch. He had a chance to come down here and kinda hang out and talk some ball…Just tried to learn a little bit of something.” – Gase on Kelly’s visit"
Gase says that he learned a lot from studying Kelly’s teams at Oregon. Even though it did not work out for Kelly as a head coach in the NFL, it does not discredit his ability as a great offensive mind. It’s important to point out that the visit was not a lead for a potential coaching opportunity within the Dolphins organization. Just an open invitation left by Gase for Kelly to see the team, and talk football during their last organized team activities.
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There is the likelihood that Kelly will one day return to coaching, but not at the moment. Two weeks ago, Kelly agreed to a deal with ESPN to become a college football studio analyst. It’s not uncommon for former coaches to get in the studio, and Kelly is just the latest. How long before Kelly gets the itch to return to the sidelines remains to be seen, but it is a multiyear deal with ESPN. If and when Kelly decides to return to coaching, chances are it will be back at the collegiate level – possibly even back at Oregon.