Say it with me now, "Chip Kelly is not going back to coach at Oregon!"
Despite an opening at the university following the firing of Mark Helfrich on Tuesday, the 49ers coach is beginning to sound like a broken record with the number of times he has to shoot down returning to college football.
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“I love everybody associated with the university. They were fantastic,” Kelly told reporters Wednesday. “If I can help them, I can help them. My thoughts are with Helf right now.”
The Niners suffered a franchise-record 10th straight loss Sunday to the Dolphins, dropping Kelly's record to 27-31 in just over 3 1/2 NFL seasons. Despite coaching a talent-depleted team, Kelly maintains he is sticking with San Francisco through this challenging season and beyond.
"No. I'm the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. So, not looking at anything else. I'm here," Kelly told reporters earlier this month when pressed about potential job openings at LSU and Texas. He echoed the same commitment to the Niners back in October as well.
Kelly seems content with his four-year, $24 million contract he signed with the 49ers in January, leaving the Ducks to turn their sights toward Western Michigan's P.J. Fleck, Boise State's Bryan Harsin, and Tulsa's Philip Montgomery, among other rumored candidates.