UCLA football coach Chip Kelly signed a two-year contract extension, which was announced by Athletic Director Martin Jarmond on Friday.
The extension, which will keep Kelly at the helm through 2027, adds two more years to a four-year deal he received ahead of the 2022 season.
The contract serves as a vote of confidence in Kelly to lead the Bruins beyond the transition to the Big Ten Conference, which begins in August of 2024.
Last season was the first time since 2014 the Bruins landed in the final AP Top 25 (ranked No. 21) and AFCA Coaches polls. UCLA finished 9-4 and played in its first bowl game under Kelly – a 37-35 loss to Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl.
“I am excited about our football program under the leadership of Coach Kelly and his talented staff,” said UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond in a press release. “The football program is on an upward trajectory, both on the field and in the classroom.”
The Bruins averaged a Pac-12-best 237.2 rushing yards per game in 2022, which ranked sixth in the country. In total offense, the Bruins were fourth in the country with a team-record 503.6 yards per game.
Kelly will reportedly make $6.1 million each of the next two seasons (2023-24) before going up to $6.2 million in each of the last three seasons (2025-27) of the contract, according to an L.A. Times’ report. If the veteran coach is fired before December 2023, he will receive an $8.5 million buyout. The amount lowers to $4.27 if he is dismissed before December 2024. The buyout drops to zero in December of 2025.
Kelly finalized his coaching staff earlier this week and announced the hiring of D’Anton Lynn, his third defensive coordinator in three years. Kelly continues to work without an official offensive coordinator on staff.
Running backs coach DeShaun Foster was also promoted to associate head coach. Foster is the only coach remaining from Chip Kelly’s initial UCLA staff assembled when he was hired in 2017.
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The Bruins have had a running back drafted in each of the last three years. Zach Charbonnet led the backfield in two consecutive winning seasons for the Bruins. Charbonnet spent part of the week in Indianapolis for the NFL combine and is expected to be the fourth Bruins’ running back drafted under Foster and Kelly.
Five-year starting quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, offensive lineman Jon Gaines II and receiver Jake Bobo are also participating in the combine this week.
Thompson-Robinson and Gaines were among some of the remaining members of Kelly’s initial UCLA recruiting class in 2018.
Kelly and his staff have spent the offseason recruiting and retooling the roster, producing the 24th-ranked recruiting class and the seventh-ranked transfer class, according to 247sports.
Five-star quarterback Dante Moore, from Detriot, highlighted the recruiting class, after flipping his commitment from Oregon and signing with the Bruins during the early signing day period.
Moore was among the early enrollees in January and started workouts with the program.
A quarterback competition is expected to garner attention leading up to the season opener against Coastal Carolina at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 2.
Moore will compete with redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Garbers and Kent State transfer quarterback Collin Schlee.