Ohio State hires UCLA's Chip Kelly to replace Bill O'Brien as OC - ESPN

UCLA coach Chip Kelly was named the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ohio State, the school announced Friday night.

Kelly replaces Bill O'Brien, who was named coach at Boston College earlier Friday. Ohio State had hired O'Brien in mid-January as part of coach Ryan Day's move to no longer call plays and to run the program more holistically.

Kelly and the Buckeyes agreed to a three-year deal. Terms were not disclosed, but Kelly is expected to take a pay cut of more than $4 million dollars with the move, as he made nearly $6 million at UCLA, sources told ESPN.

Additionally, Ohio State will have to pay a $1.5 million buyout for Kelly, sources said.

«We are extremely excited to have Chip and his wife, Jill, joining our program,» Day said. «His experience as a head coach at Oregon, UCLA and in the NFL will bring immediate value to our entire team. I am really looking forward to reconnecting with Chip, introducing him to our staff and team and chasing a championship together.

»I would also like to wish coach Bill O'Brien and his family well as he takes over at Boston College."

Earlier Friday, UCLA announced that Kelly was departing the program and a national search for a new head coach had begun.

The reasoning behind Kelly's UCLA departure comes down to an affinity to coach again, spurred in part by coaching UCLA's quarterbacks in the lead-up to the Bruins' bowl game this year. It's the first time in more than a decade Kelly coached a position. Kelly leaves with no ill-will toward UCLA and a deep appreciation for his players and staff from there.

Kelly went 35-34 during six seasons at UCLA, concluding his tenure with three consecutive winning campaigns. He becomes the fourth college head coach in this cycle