Chip Kelly: Not a college candidate
— -- PHILADELPHIA -- With Jim McElwain agreeing to become the coach at Florida, Chip Kelly was free to joke about the school's reported interest in him.
"I'm just not a candidate for a college job," Kelly said Thursday. "I don't think our pro offense will work at the college level."
That was the reverse of a question asked last year when Kelly left Oregon to become the Philadelphia Eagles' coach. Kelly has answered that question by going 19-9 in his first two seasons in the NFL.
Several times in the past two seasons -- most notably with Texas last year and Florida this year -- Kelly's name has surfaced in connection with a college vacancy.
"I get agitated because it's totally false," Kelly said. "And then I see written that if they called, I would hang up on them. I never said that. That's the things that bother me. I would never hang up on any school. I've got a ton of respect for Florida. We've got three Florida players here. I think they've got a heck of a football coach.
"That really bothered me that someone said I would hang up. If someone called me, I would gladly tell them I'm the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm excited to be here. We've got a big game against Seattle this week. I have great respect for Florida and what they've done. I visited Steve Spurrier when I was at New Hampshire. They were great to me. I spent a lot of time down there with Urban [Meyer] when I was at Oregon. I think it's a great school."
McElwain left Colorado State to coach the Gators. Kelly beat any future rumors to the punch, adding: "I haven't been contacted by any colleges. My parents used to live in Fort Collins [Colorado]. Let's just not go there. I know the Colorado State job is open. I'm getting ready to play Seattle."
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