Kelly Says He Never Accepted Bucs Job
January 28th, 2012
Somebody’s fudging the truth.
Reports high, low, far and wide had Oregon Ducks coach Chip Kelly accepting the Bucs’ head coaching job last weekend and then changing his mind less than 24 hours later. Hell, a prominent member of the Oregon media said the Ducks job was even given away to their offensive coordinator after Kelly took the Bucs gig.
But Kelly checked in this week with Oregon radio host Steve Tannen of 95.3 FM and claimed BS on the media reports of him agreeing to become the Bucs’ ninth head coach.
“And the only decision I ever made was to not accept the [Bucs] job,” Kelly said. “I never changed my mind. I never committed to the job and then flip flopped and went the way back. I had all my information and I made a decision.”
Kelly went on to crack a joke about if he earned $100 for every bogus newspaper report he’d bankrupt the University of Oregon. (Funny how Kelly didn’t claim BS on any reports in the statement he released early this week.)
As for his time being courted by the Bucs, Kelly explained they were his lone suitor and talked about the process.
“It’s the only NFL team I ever talked to, Kelly said of the Buccaneers. “I interviewed on Wednesday [Jan. 18]. Interviewed again on Friday. Understood where Tampa Bay was coming from. Had to find out where Oregon was coming from. So I had all my information. When I finally got all my information, I made a decision. It was as simple as that. …
“It obviously wasn’t financial because I turned it down and [the Bucs’ offer] was more than I got paid. It wasn’t a leverage deal. I’ve never asked to have my contract renegotiated. I never did that. I want nothing to do with that. All those reports are erroneus. I kept thinking of Vince Vaughan in Wedding Crashers when I kept hearing more information about this thing. Just screaming, ‘Erroneus. Erroneus.’
“That’s all did was just try to find out more about it. I met with Bryan Glazer and Ed Glazer and Joel Glazer and Mark Dominik and was really impressed with those four guys. They kind of presented to me what their plan was with Tampa Bay, it was extremely attractive. But at the end of the day once I got all the information from Tampa Bay, I got all the information from Oregon, to me it was a human decision. I got into coaching because of the relationships. And the relationships I have with the current coaches on our staff and the players that I have right now was the underlying reason I came back.”
Joe doesn’t believe Kelly. Joe hates to call a guy a liar, but this stuff doesn’t add up.
Kelly said he “got all the information from Oregon” after meeting with the Bucs. And he said he had to “find out where Oregon was coming from,” before making a decision. Well, what “information” did he need from the employer that has him under contract for several more years?
It’s ancient history at this point, but Joe’s glad Kelly didn’t land in Tampa. Joe suspects he wouldn’t measure up to Greg Schiano’s core beliefs: “trust, belief and accountability.”
January 28th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Joe, make that two of us that are happy that Kelly didn’t come to Tampa. I’m calling B.S. Chippy.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Sounds like major damage control. Not only his he a flip flopper now he’s a liar to try and save his recruiting class. Thank God we got Schiano..
January 28th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Schiano DID accept the job and THAT matters.
So will the hiring of Coach Schiano’s staff and the upcoming decisions in FA.
Wow! AN OFF-SEASON THIS YEAR!!!
January 28th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
I read that and was thinking the exact same thing, Joe.
Clearly, Oregon provided something new to keep him there, otherwise he would not have needed to hear from them…where he was already at and was head coach and should have known everything already.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
who cares abt chip i think we dodged a bullet, Go Bucs
January 28th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Who cares about Chipmunk Kelly?
He was so last week!
Rather have Schiano, he is for real. Chip just seems to be bursting with BS at the seems.
Oregon can keep that rat bastage.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
Obviously slow bucs news today… Sigh
January 28th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
I’m on board with Schiano. He has a clean slate with us. Right now we have no reason to dislike him. If he goes 4-12, we will.
January 28th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Yeah, but IF Schiano goes 4-12, it will atleast be with effort.
There won’t be any giving up.
bye bye Haynesworth, Talib, Black, Jones, Faine and crew! Peace!
January 28th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Haha, yea Joe, Chip would fail the TBA test. You KNOW Lane and Monte were putting the screws to his recruiting class, as soon as word got out. Definitely reeks of damage control.
January 28th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Hey Joe, how about some fun stuff on all the coordinater and position coach search.
January 28th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Joe here,
@jLM – Obviously, Joe will deliver whatever he considers interesting about he search for coordinators, which presumably would come first.
January 28th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Liar, liar, pants on fire!
January 28th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
water under the bridge…..if a tree fell in the forest….boring speculation…..
January 28th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
No BigPictureGuy, it is Washington he needs worry about, not USC.
USC is in trouble the rest of their life. Washington has recently upgraded it’s staff, and wants to be a big player in the Pac 10.
Eugene Oregon is a hole in the wall compared to Seattle.
The Washington Huskies feel they should be the Pac 10 champs with USC out of the way, and not Oregon.
January 28th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Why is this important.
January 28th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
lack of testicular fortitude
January 28th, 2012 at 5:52 pm
So the Bucs were the first NFL team to ever contact Kelly? Maybe Kelly should have gotten while the getting was good. Especially if NCAA sanctions tarnish record a bit and prevent him from ever getting a second NFL team to contact him. This is starting to seem like Kelly’s loss and maybe the Bucs gain that this didn’t go down. Count me in as one who was squeamish at the thought of Kelly adapting his offense to the NFL. I mean how hard has Mike Martz struggled to replicate his success with the greatest show on turf? And Kelly’s offense is even that much more of a stretch from a traditional NFL offense.
January 28th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Low character damage control. Not surprising
January 28th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
I’m with Deminion on this one, we DID dodge a bullet. His interview leads me to believe if he were here he wouldn’t have gotten respect from our players. Bring it, Coach Schiano!
January 28th, 2012 at 6:55 pm
Lol anyone else watching Raheems DB’s getting carved up in the senior bowl? There biting like crazy just like ours used to. Good luck redskins lol. This defense was all montes doing!!
January 28th, 2012 at 7:05 pm
The more I research Schiano the more I think this guy is the perfect hire. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about the future of the Bucs. Staff will be critically important and he is handicapped by going after staff this late in the game but if anyone can get it done it will be Schiano. I’m sure he know some of the brightest minds in college and the pros and like he said…”It’s not how much the coaches know, it’s how much the players know.” If he gets good communicators and teachers who know X’s & O’s we’ll be fine. GO BUCS!!
January 28th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
It would not surprise me he did what some people do in business when they’re recruited by another company; they tell their current employer about the specific offer which either gets them more $ from that employer as a counter offer or they may get financial promises about the future….it’s a win-win, in this case, for Kellly. It’s not right to do it, particularly from the Bucs standpoint, but it happens.
January 28th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
Kelly who ?
January 28th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Wow commish tweeted wisenhut wont allow the bucs to interview WR coach john mcnulty for OC!! Douchebag
January 28th, 2012 at 7:58 pm
@clayburn94……good I don’t want him as the OC anyway. Is he seriously the best we can do? A wide receivers coach? I want someone that already has experience as an offensive coordinator at the NFL level! We need to find the best OC possible….someone that gets us hopeful.
January 28th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
I believe Kelly. What you guys are forgetting is that deals are negotiated through agents and attorneys – Kelly probably did not accept any offer but told his agent to get him the best deal which causes the agent stretch how certain his client is with regard to leaving Oregon if the team met his contract demand.
I am sure that the Bucs said yes and believed that they had a deal but before Kelly agreed – I suspect Joe’s crush Dom blabbed or gossiped and it leaked – recruits starting waffling and Oregon players, coaches and admin pressures Kelly into staying.
Further, Kelly decided that it wasnt worth 3+ million per year to have a pimple-faced fantasy football enthusiast telling you how to build a NFL winner – especially as finishing last, next to last, and last in his 3 embarrassing years playing GM.
January 28th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
However, Dom stepped in shi- and that luckily smells rosy bc we may have a better coaching option at 1/2 the price.
January 28th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
@patrick hes been an assistant in the nfl for 9 years. I Believe that guy has experience but wisennut want to be a douche about it.
January 28th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
says on the Cardinals site that he was with the Dolphins from ’98-’02 and the Cowboys in ’03. Doesn’t even say what position he was coaching.
Guy doesn’t even have a wikipedia page. Hell, even Eric Yarber has a wikipedia.
January 28th, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Who cares.
January 28th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
I’m sure he’ll be getting a visit from paulie walnuts he’s been told once not it’s time to collect final notice
January 28th, 2012 at 9:08 pm
He told on himself at the very end “…. the reason why I came back.” Came back from what to what? From the Bucs job he accepted to the Ducks. That is after he made a deal that AD could not fire or penalize him when his team goes under investigation for NCAA rules violations.
January 28th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
@Patrick, you haven’t got a clue.
January 28th, 2012 at 10:32 pm
@Clayburn. F’ing Cardinals. Clearly, Schiano knows this guy and he works well with him. For that reason, I thought it would be a good O.C. hire. Still, I’m sure he isn’t Schiano’s only guy.
January 28th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
I hope so. I trust who ever Schiano brings in will be a good fit. Oh well cards paybacks a b****
January 28th, 2012 at 10:42 pm
Don’t worry, we still are one up on Ariz. Remember Blount hurdling and bruising the Cards. Yup. F the Cards. No defense having birdshat.
January 28th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Patsy Parisi is going to be offensive coordinator Paulie Walnuts in going to run special teams and Vito Spatafore Jr is going to become O line coach Fin the dentist is going to be team doctor Dr Melfi is going to help Talib find his brain and Hesch is going to be running backs coach.
January 28th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
I don’have problem with not getting McNulty. PFT commenters are saying we should offer a pick for him, but after Gruden the NFL made rules against trading picks for coaches, didn’t they? Bad idea anyway.
I’m sure there are more names on the list.