Florida’s AD surprises social media sleuths with classroom selfie amid Chip Kelly chase

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin removed all doubt as to his location, at least for a bit, on Tuesday afternoon with this selfie.

Rumors had been swirling on social media that Stricklin was headed to meet former Oregon head coach and current ESPN analyst Chip Kelly on Tuesday. Fans even identified a plane that was scheduled to travel from Gainesville to Windsor Locks, Connecticut on FlightAware.com. Windsor Locks is the location of the airport frequently used by people traveling to ESPN headquarters. Of course, it’s unclear if Kelly was even at ESPN’s campus on Tuesday. Until he shared his selfie, it was also unclear where Stricklin was this afternoon.

Stricklin has been having fun with Twitter throughout the whole process.

This rumor was posted on a message board Monday afternoon.

Stricklin responded to a reply to that tweet with a nugget of his own.

He also fired this tweet off on Monday as the Kelly rumors really started to heat up.

He also had this to say in response to another coach search rumor.

And it’s not the first time Florida has used Twitter to at least somewhat control the message. During the hiring process for former coach Jim McElwain, reporters and fans alike were able to track the movements of the University Athletic Association’s two private jets (which have since been blocked from tracking) on FlightAware.

Kelly’s the fever dream of many Florida fans for one reason: offense.

Kelly is the No. 1 candidate of frustrated Florida fans, 2010-present and also Alligator Army’s all-time Florida wide receivers coach. His Oregon offenses revolutionized college football in a way very reminiscent of Spurrier’s offenses revolutionizing the SEC, and his Ducks were cool and arrogant in ways that harkened back to Spurrier’s halcyon days, too. There are many Florida fans who see Chip Kelly as a squatter Steve Spurrier with fewer visor tosses.

Whether Kelly will soon be meeting with Florida’s AD remains to be seen. But as of Tuesday at 3:47 p.m., Stricklin appeared to be in Gainesville.