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Chip Kelly reportedly mulls Florida, UCLA jobs

By The Sports Xchange
Former San Francisco 49ers coach Chip Kelly watches from the sidelines during a game against the New York Jets last season. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
Former San Francisco 49ers coach Chip Kelly watches from the sidelines during a game against the New York Jets last season. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo

Former college and NFL coach Chip Kelly reportedly is deciding this week between Florida and UCLA for one of the head-coaching openings.

Kelly met with UCLA officials regarding the school's vacant position in Los Angeles on Tuesday and is expected to decide between Florida and UCLA in the next few days, a source close to Kelly told ESPN's Mark Schlabach on Wednesday.

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At least Florida, Tennessee and UCLA have made overtures or offers to Kelly, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA Today Sports. The offers were in the range of $6 million per year, the person told the newspaper.

Former UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman, a member of the school's search committee, is putting a "full-court press" on Kelly to accept the job with the Bruins, the source told ESPN.

Besides UCLA and Florida, the 53-year-old Kelly isn't expected to consider any other college openings, according to ESPN.

The Los Angeles Times reported Kelly met with a contingent of athletics officials from UCLA as the Bruins look to replace Jim Mora Jr., who was fired on Sunday.

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The meeting came two days after Florida officials flew to meet Kelly in his native New Hampshire, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Officials returned Sunday night without a deal in place to make him the Gators' next head coach to replace McElwain, who was fired on Oct. 29.

Kelly, an analyst at ESPN, went 46-7 from 2009 to 2012 at Oregon, which averaged 44.7 points a game during that span. His final team in 2012 went 12-1 and averaged 49.6 points per game.

Kelly was fired from two NFL jobs in the past two years. He was fired by the San Francisco 49ers in January after one season. He was 28-35 in four seasons as an NFL coach, including three with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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