Chip Kelly took a significant pay cut and a demotion to leave his job as head coach at UCLA to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. However, it is actually less than it appears when you put it into perspective.
He is going to live very comfortably in Columbus, Ohio when compared to Los Angeles, California.
It was first reported by The Athletic that Kelly signed a contract through Jan. 31, 2027. It will pay him $2 million in the first year, $2.1 million in the second year and $2.2 million in the third year.
Kelly made just under $6 million last year. His new job will pay him approximately $4 million less.
However, you have to consider where he lives!
According to NerdWallet, the cost of living is 37% lower in Columbus than in Los Angeles. It estimates that a pre-tax income (remember too that taxes in California are higher than Ohio) of $6,000,000 in L.A. is equivalent to about $3,760,000 in Columbus. So really, the pay cut is not as big as it seems.
Kelly, who turned 60 years old in November, was hired by the Bruins in 2018 after one quick year as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. UCLA went 35-34 during his tenure and only reached a bowl game in three of six seasons. The writing was on the wall.
There was a lot of chatter that Kelly was going to get fired after a frustrating end to last season. His recruiting class did not bode well for success in the near future. Athletic director Martin Jarmond decided to give him one more year and ultimately ended up with a red face.
Kelly was actively looking for a way out the entire time. He almost took a job in the Ivy League before ultimately bolting for a lesser role with the Buckeyes. The basis for his decision stemmed was two-fold.
Not only did Kelly see what everybody else saw regarding the Bruins’ chances to find success next season, he was exhausted by the grind of the modern era of college football. Name, Image and Likeness and the transfer portal didn’t allow him to focus on the Xs and Os.
Being the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, on his good friend and former mentee (and quarterback) Ryan Day’s staff, does. It is only mostly about football.
Chip Kelly’s quality of life is way up and his pay is not that far off in the grand scheme of things!