49ers hire Chip Kelly as head coach
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Chip Kelly is the offensiveminded, experienced head coach the San Francisco 49ers have long sought, and now he needs to win — right away.
The 49ers hired the former Eagles coach on Thursday as their new coach, finding the man CEO Jed York is counting on to turn things around for his once-proud franchise.
Kelly faces the daunting challenge of transforming the Niners into an immediate contender again.
York announced the hiring
of Kelly as the franchise’s 20th head coach on Twitter and so did the team on its account.
“After a thorough search, Trent & I are thrilled to announce Chip Kelly as the new #HeadCoach of the @49ers,” York wrote, referring to general manager Trent Baalke.
Kelly, who had personnel control with the Eagles and frustrated some of his players, won’t be introduced in a news conference until next week based on schedules.
He replaces fired coach Jim Tomsula, promoted from his defensive line duties last January to succeed Jim Harbaugh before going 5-11 — a move Baalke has said earlier this month wound up to be the wrong one, in hindsight.
Kelly emerged as the favorite among several candidates with experience, including former Raiders, Broncos and Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, ex-Giants coach Tom Coughlin and former Raiders coach Hue Jackson, who was hired Wednesday to coach the Cleveland Browns.
The 52-year-old Kelly was fired by Philadelphia after Week 16 with one game left in his third season as coach. The former University of Oregon coach was 6-9 in 2015 following two 10-6 seasons, prompting Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie to make a change.
Hiring the offensive-minded Kelly could give the 49ers a reason to keep quarterback Colin Kaepernick to work his way back into the dominant, dynamic quarterback he was a few years back with his legs and strong arm.
There has been thought that Kaepernick could be the kind of mobile quarterback Kelly likes running his fast-paced offense and a good fit.
“Guess I might have to start running right now to get in shape,” wide receiver Torrey Smith posted on Twitter shortly after the announcement.
San Francisco has missed the playoffs the past two seasons, going 8-8 in 2014 in now Michigan coach Harbaugh’s final season before what the team called a “mutual decision” to part ways with one year remaining on his contract.
The 49ers reached three straight NFC championship games and a Super Bowl under Harbaugh, losing by three points to his older brother, John, and the Baltimore Ravens in the championship after the 2012 season to miss the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy.
On Jan. 4, a day after firing Tomsula, York vowed to bring the 49ers back to prominence.
“Even looking over the last few seasons, I think it’s important to learn and to grow from your mistakes. I think I understand what the fans want,” he said.
“They want a team that they can be proud of on Sundays. They want a championship team. I want that too and I’m fighting for that. You can trust me that we are going to do everything that we can to get this team back where it belongs.”