Will Chip Kelly get his chance to coach Marcus Mariota in the NFL?
Kelly's tenure in Philadelphia ended abruptly Tuesday night. The Titans need a new head coach for their franchise quarterback. Kelly, who coached Mariota at Oregon, seems like an obvious candidate for the job.
On Thursday, Mariota revealed that the two haven't spoken since Kelly's firing. That being said, Mariota had nothing but kind words for his former coach, saying he has no doubt Kelly will succeed in his next stop.
"Obviously we've had a connection through Oregon, but again my mindset isn't on that," Mariota said, via ESPN. "It's unfortunate [about] Coach Kelly and his situation. But I am sure whatever team he ends up going to he'll have success.
"I think he's proven [he can be a winner] the first two years. I think this past year was tough, he probably didn't have the season that he wanted. But to win 10 games his first two years says a lot about what he's able to do and says a lot about his coaching."
Under Kelly's tutelage at Oregon in 2012, Mariota completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 2,677 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions. On the ground, Mariota accounted for 752 yards and five touchdowns.
"I think that entire staff at Oregon really helped me become who I am today," Mariota said. "I always give them as much credit as I can because they really helped me get to this point."
Mariota won't play in the Titans' final game on Sunday due to a knee injury, so his rookie year is already over. This season, Mariota completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,818 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, adding 252 yards and two scores with his legs.
If Kelly snags the Titans job this offseason, Mariota will instantly become the best quarterback Kelly has worked with in the pros.
