All of the outrage over an old-ish head coach stepping right down to take a soft consulting/coordinating job is a little bit a lot. Chip Kelly going from head coach of the UCLA Bruins to operating probably the most gifted offenses within the nation at Ohio State is strictly how I’d need to spend my twilight years if I used to be a soccer coach.
Give it some thought. Chip doesn’t have to fret a couple of roster full of youngsters flirting with the switch portal, who’s getting how a lot NIL cash, or stand in entrance of the firing squad following losses. Nor does Kelly need to face a youthful model of himself at USC yearly, work out the mechanisms of adjusting conferences, or foyer for his crew’s spot within the Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings. He’s 60 for Christ’s sake.
That is serendipitous for Kelly, who solely obtained the job as a result of Invoice O’Brien determined to get again into teaching full-time, and ghosted the Buckeyes to attempt to resurrect Boston Faculty. After flaming out as a head coach within the NFL, O’Brien spent the previous three to 4 years doing what Kelly is about to do: Run a top-tier group with little to no accountability.
Life as a retread coach is freaking superior. I want each washed-up coach had the self-awareness of Kelly. He is aware of he peaked at Oregon, misplaced his fastball in Philly, and will in all probability get one good 12 months out of each 4 tries in L.A. till ultimately, the AD fires him. Why undergo all that arduous work and stress if it’s clear you gained’t get to the promised land because the de facto chief?
Take a look at Dan Quinn. Certain, he’s going to f—ok up Washington, however the previous few years operating the Cowboys’ protection had been the perfect of his life. He obtained to take a seat in a collection, be the cool uncle together with his hat on backward, coach Micah Parsons, and fail upward after giving up 48 factors to a quarterback making his first profession playoff begin. That may very well be Chip in a few years if he actually needed it, and who is aware of if he does.
So cease being so sanctimonious about Kelly allegedly abandoning his crew. If something, he’s doing the Bruins a favor by stepping apart upon realizing his coronary heart isn’t in it. Nobody needs to work for a boss who’s not invested — until you’re additionally not invested, which, in that case, an uninvested boss is the perfect boss.
Nevertheless, that is school soccer the place the hopes, desires, and optimism of youth haven’t been suffocated by the dregs of existence. The quantity of engagement required by Gen Z is exhausting. Nobody needs to do TikToks and ham it up for cellphone cameras. Let Kelly kick it in a field, visor unfastened, and draw up performs on cocktail napkins.
It looks like he’s coming into his John Daly/Don Nelson part, the place he will get to point out up, spout out some catchphrases, and get a ton of credit score for merely “nonetheless doing it.” Are you aware what sort of luxurious it’s to have somebody as above-average as Chip Kelly calling performs? It’s just like Bobby Flay operating your grill station.
Certain, you’d by no means entrust him with your entire menu, however he can sear the bejesus out of a flank steak when it’s his sole accountability. Belief me, UCLA, you’re higher off with a contemporary begin.
Patrick Beverley … good lord
On the listing of issues the Milwaukee Bucks wanted, Patrick Beverley was second to final (proper forward of Doc Rivers). Ah, sure, nothing ingratiates your self to new teammates like grabbing a clipboard and appearing such as you haven’t been on six completely different rosters since 2020.
I might say Pat Bev ought to cling it up, however the longer he’s on a roster the much less likelihood of me having to combination his First Take claims.
