Former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has found a new home in San Francisco. The 49ers organization announced this afternoon that Chip Kelly would become the 20th head coach in history to lead their franchise.
“We are thrilled to announce Chip Kelly as the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers,” CEO Jed York said. “Chip has a proven track record at both the college and NFL levels that speaks for itself. We believe strongly that he is the right man to get this team back to competing for championships. I look forward to watching Trent and Chip work closely to build a team that will make us all proud.”
After two successful seasons in Philly, one in which the team made the playoffs, Chip Kelly and the Eagles experienced a highly disappointing season in 2015. The Eagles ended with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs for a second year in a row. That, along with increasing tensions between Kelly and upper management, led to him getting let go in December.
Similarly, the 49ers had a bad season as well; in fact, it was their worst in years. The team tried to find chemistry with new coach Jim Tomsula and the offense struggled tremendously, which ultimately led to the benching of their starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick halfway through the season. The team ultimately ended with a 5-11 record.
After a rough year for both parties, it will be interesting to see what changes lie ahead for the 49ers and if San Francisco will be a better fit for Coach Kelly.
