The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the verge of hiring Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, according to multiple reports. KGW Channel 8 in Portland, Oregon initially reported the news that the two sides were talking and nearing a deal. The St. Petersburg Times in Florida is now reporting that the two sides are on the verge of finalizing a deal.
Chip Kelly To Buccaneers Is Getting Close, According To Multiple Reports
Chip Kelly is close to finalizing a deal that will make him the new head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after three years as the head coach at Oregon.
That’s a report from the Oregon area and one from the Tampa Bay area. It sounds like this is happening. Kelly has been linked to other NFL jobs but nothing that was very serious.
The St. Petersburg Times reports that Kelly met with the Glazer family, who owns the Bucs, and GM Mark Dominik earlier this week. The two are reportedly working on the terms of the deal and both hope to have it finished within 24-48 hours. Now that the news is out and Oregon recruits know, it’s hard to see the talks hitting a snag and Kelly staying in Oregon.
He arrived in Oregon in 2007 as the offensive coordinator after spending the previous 13 years in New Hampshire. By 2009 he became head coach of the Ducks leading them to a BCS bowl game in all three years he was the head coach, including most recently a Rose Bowl victory.
The Bucs fired Raheem Morris shortly after the regular season ended in January.
Check out SB Nation’s Bucs Nation for more on the Bucs and visit Addicted To Quack for an Oregon perspective on all of this.
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