There is much discourse around college football about players leaving teams and their loyalty to programs. A lot of this comes from the coaches who recruited the players, but the same standard isn't held for when a coach leaves a program.
Getting fired is one thing, but leaving under your terms is another. It can be rationalized if you are a coach who takes a small school to consistent winning records and earns a shot at a bigger program to try and replicate the same success. Other times, coaches leave under the cover of night to accept new positions unexpectedly (cough cough, Lincoln Riley), and the enticing world of the NFL woo others.
In 2013, the Oregon Ducks were riding high. They had three consecutive 12-win seasons and were coming off a Fiesta Bowl win over the Kansas State Wildcats.
Head coach Chip Kelly had gained a lot of NFL interest, being interviewed by the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Kelly had decided to remain with the Ducks, but then a week later, Kelly jumped to the NFL and accepted the Eagles head coaching job.
The Sporting News explained why Kelly left Oregon.
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Why did Chip Kelly leave Oregon?
NCAA sanctions
There were likely several reasons why Kelly left the Ducks, but the biggest was likely the NCAA sanctions that came out.
The Oregonian reported on April 16, 2003, that the university had offered to put itself on probation for two years due to NCAA violations that took place under Kelly. After the NCAA concluded its investigation into Oregon's use of football scouting services, it declared that the Ducks would be on three-year probation and reduced in scholarships but not banned from bowl games.
Kelly himself got an 18-month show-cause penalty, which would have kicked in if he were to be hired by another NCAA school. Luckily for him, this didn't end up mattering because he spent the next four seasons in the NFL.
Kelly spent three seasons with the Eagles and one season with the 49ers, finishing with a combined 28-35 record. Kelly returned to college football in 2018, albeit with UCLA.
Losing important games
Kelly also may have been tired of losing the big game at Oregon.
He had a solid first season going 10-3, but lost in the Rose Bowl. In Kelly's second season, the Ducks went 12-1, but the lone loss was a big one against Auburn in the national championship game.
The next two years, Kelly couldn't get the Ducks back to the national championship despite not losing more than two games. Oregon finished 12-2 with a Rose Bowl win in 2011 and 12-1 in 2012 with a Fiesta Bowl win.
It was a clear case of close but no cigar. When Kelly was at Oregon, the NCAA was still using its BCS playoff system, so a team had to be ranked in the top two after conference championship week to qualify for the national title game. Notably, Kelly left Oregon ahead of the 2013 season and the College Football Playoff was implemented in 2014.
Here's where Oregon finished in the rankings after their final game each season under Kelly:
| Year | Final Ranking in AP Poll (after bowl games, championship game) |
| 2009 | 11 (after losing Rose Bowl) |
| 2010 | 3 (after losing NCG) |
| 2011 | 4 (after winning Rose Bowl) |
| 2012 | 2 (after winning Fiesta Bowl) |
Oregon rose to No. 2 in 2012 but finished the season ranked No. 6 after not making the Pac-12 Championship Game. After the Ducks beat Kansas State 35-17, they shot up to No. 2 in the season's final rankings, though these rankings don't mean much heading into the offseason.
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Chip Kelly Oregon coaching record
Kelly left Oregon with a 46-7 record over four seasons and a 2-2 record in bowl games. The Ducks won the Rose Bowl in 2011 and the Fiesta Bowl in 2012.
| Year | Record | Result |
| 2009 | 10-3 | Lost Rose Bowl |
| 2010 | 12-1 | Lost National Championship Game |
| 2011 | 12-2 | Won Rose Bowl |
| 2012 | 12-1 | Won Fiesta Bowl |
