Eagles Roundtable: If You Were Chip, Would You go to USC?
By Tim Kelly
Oct 11, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly during fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Saints, 39-17. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Somers Price, Editor
Selection: Eagles
If this question came down to simply holding the head coach position, the choice might be a bit more difficult. That being said, Chip Kelly’s role with the Eagles goes well beyond his label. Along with Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll, Kelly wields as much power as any other individual in the NFL. Very few coaches are given the sort of all-encompassing control that Jeffrey Lurie has given Kelly. Being one of the most powerful individuals in the NFL makes Kelly a de facto ‘most powerful person in sports’.
I imagine this goes a along way towards satiating Kelly’s ego while he can continue to strive for the ultimate goal in the game that has taken over his life. Though he would have the same type of control at USC, he would be wielding it at a level below.
If he walked away from this position of power now, he would likely never have another opportunity to do so in the future at the NFL level. Being an NFL coach is one thing. Having final say on coaching, personnel, and organizational culture is what I think keeps Kelly in the NFL for the foreseeable future.
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