Sources: Chip Kelly in negotiation to potentially be the next head coach of Florida
Florida has received ‘verbal commitment’ that there won’t be issue with hiring Chip Kelly
Source: Gator Reps are headed too talk with Chip Kelly. Things are picking up on the @SEC coaching searches.
— Trey Wallace (@TreyW_Radio) November 14, 2017
Credible source tells me Florida finalized deal with Chip Kelly last night. Announcement coming either today or tomorrow. If this is true it's a solid big splash hire for the Gators.
— John Ivory (@Ocala7v7Showdwn) November 14, 2017
November 14th, 2017 at 3:38 PM ^
I have a feeling Tennessee will make a HUGE push for Frost, might just push up the price that Nebraska pays for him, but it'd be awfully tough not to bite at a tradition rich program with a huge stadium in a place four hours away from Atlanta and three hours away from a growing recruiting area in Nashville.
November 14th, 2017 at 5:49 PM ^
Knoxville is 6 hours away from the talent-rich part of Tennessee in Memphis. UT is not going to out-recruit UGA and Clemson for Georgia and Carolina kids so long as those two programs are on top. I think the right hire can make Tennessee competitive in the East, they'll be afforded the resources to do so, but it's a much harder turnaround than Nebraska. Frost would have Nebraska competing for the West in 2 years and perennial West champs after that.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:17 PM ^
Nashville is growing like a weed and is starting to have a lot more talent than even ten years ago and there's enough talent in Georgia and the Carolina's to go around that will be a lot easier to bring into Knoxville than it would be to find guys to bring into Nebraska. I agree there's less competition in the Big Ten West than the SEC East and there's an appeal to resurrecting the alma mater, I just think Tennessee can make a case to Frost.
November 14th, 2017 at 10:35 PM ^
A lot of talent in the Nashville area. And Tennessee is the better job by far. It's not close. Some people actually enjoy bigger challenges for larger rewards.
Also, your point about outrecruiting Clemson for Carolina kids is puzzling because why would they have to? There is talent within the UT footprint and surrounding states.
Then again, aren't you the one who was calling Jacob Eason a cokehead last week with no evidence?
November 15th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
A lot to address here:
1) There's not a lot of talent in Tennessee, period. The plurality of talent in the state in terms of location is in/around Memphis. The truth is Tennessee is one of the least talented states east of the Mississippi, in terms of NFL talent per capita (which is obviously the type of talent you need to be at the top of a P5 conference). Of the surrounding states, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas all have more NFL talent per capita. Tennessee's problem now is that (with the exception of Arkansas) there is at least one Power Five team in each of those states that is currently a better program than Tennessee. Some of these programs are large regional/national brands that will dominate their own state AND take the best recruits from other regional states, i.e. Bama, Georgia, Clemson. Tennessee is even behind Kentucky, South Carolina, and Missouri as of 2017, in terms of the shape of their football program.
2) Tennessee has never relied on Tennessee talent when they've been good, so to imply that Tennessee is a better job because you can recruit locally and be good is ludicrous. Let's look at Tennessee's best players on their best teams in the last 25 years: Eric Berry (Georgia), Michael Munoz (Ohio), Peyton Manning (Louisiana), John Henderson (Tennessee), Arian Foster (New Mexico/California), Jerod Mayo (Virginia), Donte Stallworth (California), Albert Haynesworth (South Carolina), Jason Witten (was raised in DC but moved to Tennessee for High School), Peerless Price (Ohio), Tee Martin (Alabama), Jamal Lewis (Georgia)....you get the picture? Tennessee is only good when they are getting star players from other states in the region, and sometimes recruiting nationally in California, Ohio, etc. Very few of the Tennessee players you know that have carried their team to the top of the conference and nation are from Tennessee.
3) Why is Tennessee obviously a better job and a bigger challenge with a higher reward than Nebraska? Both are in the weaker (by far) division of their conference. Both are in worse shape than multiple teams in that division, with a national contender at the top of each division. Both would require beating an elite program from the other division every time in order to win their conference. Nebraska has more all-time wins than Tennessee, a higher winning percentage, more Heisman winners, more conference titles, and more national championships. Tennessee's athletic department has slightly more money that Nebraska's, but both are Top 25 in terms of revenue. Tennessee's stadium is larger, but Nebraska's is still over 80,000 (and nicer to be honest). The winner of the Big Ten is regarded equally as the winner of the SEC. I think Nebraska is the better job in 2017, and I think many people would say the same.
4) As for your comment about Eason, I'm not going to sit here and continue to follow up with you to relitigate that. I live in Georgia and know people who know him and who are Georgia fans that would not badmouth an elite talent on their own team without cause. National recruiting experts have heard the same things. Magnus on our own blog here has heard the same things. When people all over the country all hear the same thing about you, for multiple years, and some are eye-witnesses, 99% of the time it's true. If it acts like a coke head and sniffs like a coke head, then it's a coke head.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:29 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 1:29 PM ^
Nobody is reporting that there is a deal in place, only that the SEC has confirmed to UF that they wouldn't block a deal.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^
No but where there's smoke there's usually fire. If he wasn't a real consideration (and why wouldn't he be) this wouldn't be news. But yeah, we shall actually see what happens.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:30 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 1:41 PM ^
Herbie likes to get the scoop...LOL
November 14th, 2017 at 2:55 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 1:32 PM ^
And is hard-core Gator fan/alum/season-ticket holder. This report is news to him - he's heard nothing on it so far.
Not saying it isnt happening but news hasnt reached former players yet.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:27 PM ^
Former players sometimes don't have a beat on what's going on with the football program. I mean Braylon, when he wasn't showing up to his radio gig drunk, really didn't have a clue either.
November 14th, 2017 at 4:14 PM ^
1. I never claimed he was some sort of insider
2. I never said the OP's initial post (which he since walked back significantly) was wrong
I merely said I know somebody with some connections to the FLA football department based on his past playing days and his current support as a season ticker holder and that he had not heard anything yet.
And BTW he still hasnt. And now he's made a few phone calls to try and get confirmation.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:33 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 1:33 PM ^
i heard that Cutcliffe turned them down, so there is that.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:02 PM ^
been turned down by Gruden, Cowher, and Schiano.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^
get Flo on the schelude!!! Kelly teams are generally small and don't play d well...
November 14th, 2017 at 1:41 PM ^
was really hoping he'd continue that spread option game and the speed no huddle tactic.
Refused to do it for whatever dumb reason.
49ers finally win one game over the terrible Giants and time to go back to college, I guess.
The SEC needs Florida back. Vanderbilt and Kentucky are perennial dormats. Missouri can't compete. Georgia and South Carolina aren't looking too good. And Tennessee is in bad shape.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:46 PM ^
Kentucky is already at 7 wins and can beat Louisville in their last game
South Carolina is already at 7 wins and will beat Wofford this weekend
Georgia is 9-1 and has already won the East, will almost certainly finish 11-1
Missouri has won 4 straight and looks likely to win out and finish 7-5 as one of the hottest teams in the country
The SEC is undeniably better when Florida is good, but you picked really shitty examples to try to make your point.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 1:44 PM ^
He'd wait for USC to ask him.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
click the article.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:46 PM ^
And landing near ESPN HQ, for an anouncement during CFP show tonite
November 14th, 2017 at 1:49 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 1:52 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 1:53 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 1:53 PM ^
Chip Kelley in college with talent at all positions?
Watch out.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:02 PM ^
If he does sign it would be a pretty quick turn around I think. But for some reason I think this is BS for some reason.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:20 PM ^
The only thing that would hold him back, at least right away, is the QB position. He'd obviously get a good one that fits his system eventually, but his options next year would be Felipe Franks, Jack Del Rio, or a true freshman. I'd probably pick the true freshman, but that's not going to win you championships right away.
It will take Kelly at least a full year to fix the disaster that is Florida's offense.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:03 PM ^
I thought this was the most likely outcome.
Frost to Nebraska.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:51 PM ^
Will Tennessee make a push for Frost? They've got to keep up.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:04 PM ^
Let the Chips fall where they may.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:20 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 2:25 PM ^
Why would Florida not have a good defense with Chip Kelly? Is this a contention that teams with spread offenses cannot play good defense?
November 14th, 2017 at 2:31 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 3:01 PM ^
I agree his Oregon defenses weren't great--he typically had an average defense coupled with a ridiculously good offense. But he would have much better talent to work with at UF, so I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be able to field a good defense there.
November 14th, 2017 at 3:44 PM ^
Oregon's defense under Chip Kelly
2009 S&P+ Defensive Ranking: No. 16
2010 S&P+ Defensive Ranking: No. 3
2011 S&P+ Defensive Ranking: No. 12
2012 S&P+ Defensive Ranking: No. 2
November 14th, 2017 at 2:25 PM ^
Doesn't sound like anything is official or even agreed to in principle yet. It's just saying the SEC Commissioner won't stand in Florida's way if they try to hire him. Either way, Nebraska fans have to be breathing a huge sigh of relief.
Assuming Kelly goes to Florida, it'll take him at least a year to fix Florida's offense and get things going. There is no QB currently on the roster that can run his offense. But man oh man, with as much talent as there is to run his offense just in the state of Florida alone, if he hires a good DC they will be back to contending for national championships in maybe two years tops. He got great talent at Oregon. He will get elite talent at Florida.
Florida will be more than happy to hand him total control of the program, which is what I know he'll demand. Then if Tennessee goes out and hires a decent coach as well, the East could go back to being a pretty darn good division again.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:25 PM ^
Great click baiter.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:29 PM ^
Welcome back GATERZ!
Good-bye Jimbo.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:47 PM ^
FSU has The “Jimbo”. Too confusing.
November 14th, 2017 at 3:40 PM ^
November 15th, 2017 at 7:05 AM ^
Right you are mon ami.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:46 PM ^
What about the Vols throwing a ton of cash at Franklin? Would be hilarious to see PSU scramble for a head coach again.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^
They should hire Moorhead. Franklin is just along for the ride.
They have to keep up with Florida and Georgia.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:50 PM ^
November 14th, 2017 at 2:50 PM ^
They have all these so called rules that make them appear to be against Breaking NCAA rules UNTIL it becomes one of them..Suddenly Rules violators are OK...Its just the hypicricy of granting exceptions everytime it comes up..Its all for show..All talk NO action
November 14th, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^
If true this is great news for Nebraska! They want Frost so bad and I think we would have picked Florida over Nebraska at this point