UCLA’s Kelly showing little, telling less

LOS A NGELES» Leave it to Chip Kelly to move to Hollywood and still do his best to stay completely out of the spotlight.

UCLA’s heralded head coach has revealed little and promised even less during the months leading to his muchanticipated debut Saturday against Cincinnati.

He is both charming and nononsense with reporters and fans in the nation’s secondlargest media market, yet he also closes his practices to observers and deflects simple questions about the Bruins’ basic philosophies. He waited until 48 hours before his debut to name Michigan transfer Wilton Speight as his starting quarterback in a foursentence news release.

Kelly appears to be aware of the anticipation surrounding his return to the Rose Bowl, both among the UCLA faithful and around the country. Hype and the other ancillary aspects of football are just not something that interests him as he prepares the Bruins to perform in the next chapter of his compelling career.

“We don’t have any expectations,” Kelly said. “I’ve never been an expectation guy, because I think if you want to be real happy in your life, then set really low expectations. We’re really happy, because we don’t have any expectations. My only expectation, to be honest with you, is that they play hard.”

For a football lifer who has evaluated every quantum of information about his sport for most of his adult life, Kelly has rarely professed much interest in helping outsiders do the same — except for last year, when he took a job as a commentator.