When Steve Sarkisian surprised everybody by leaving Alabama to become the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator earlier this week, there's been one name thrown about as a possible replacement more than others. Whether the idea was based in actual reality, or if it just seemed like a fun idea, people mentioned Chip Kelly as a candidate.
But it doesn't appear that it's going to happen.
According to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, the former Oregon coach has "no interest" in becoming Alabama's new offensive coordinator. It's news that doesn't really come as much of a surprise if you really think about it.
If Kelly wants to return to coaching on the college level, he can get a head coaching job without having to subject himself to being a coordinator for a season. Unlike Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin before him, Kelly's credentials on the college level don't need any rehabilitation.
We've all seen what he did at Oregon and nobody has forgotten it. If he were to become an offensive coordinator anywhere, it would likely be at the NFL level, where his reputation could use a boost as he 28-35 in four years with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, including a record of 8-23 the last two seasons.
From Alabama's perspective, Nick Saban is now in need of his third offensive coordinator of 2017, and it's not even mid-February. So why would Saban want to hire somebody that's likely to leave for another job after only one season? That's not exactly the kind of stability he's likely looking for.
So while it was fun to think of the possibilities of pairing a Chip Kelly offense with your typical Alabama defense, the idea was never one that made much sense for either party.
