Oregon Has Reportedly Asked UCLA to Speak to Chip Kelly About Its Coaching Vacancy

There it is. Days after Mario Cristobal left Eugene to become the new head coach at the University of Miami, Oregon has requested permission to speak with UCLA coach Chip Kelly about its head coaching vacancy.

Kelly was the Ducks' head coach from 2009-2012, compiling a 46-7 record and leading Oregon to the BCS National Championship Game in 2010, where it lost to Auburn on a field goal as time expired. Kelly turned Oregon into the national power and destination it is now, even though he was only there for four seasons.

Since Kelly left Eugene, though, it's been a different story. He left Oregon for the NFL, where he put up a 25-38 record between the Eagles and 49ers. After a year off, he returned to the college ranks at UCLA, where he won 10 games in his first three seasons combined before leading the Bruins to an 8-4 record this season.

Put the records aside, though: this is what everyone wants to see. If Kelly can get back to his old ways in Eugene, it would just feel right. I'm not entirely sure that's how this reunion would go, but it would be awesome to watch if it did.

Save a few Lane Kiffin rumors, Oregon has kept its search pretty quiet so far. Could it be they've been targeting a second Kelly tenure all along? It feels like the Ducks could possibly aim higher to begin with, but Kelly makes plenty of sense if he has been their primary target the whole time.