Kelly inks contract extension at UCLA through ’27

UCLA coach Chip Kelly has signed a contract extension through the 2027 season, the school revealed Friday.UCLA completed 9-4

last season with a 37-35 loss to Pittsburgh in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, but his winning percentage has increased in each of his five seasons. Last season was the very first time since 2014 that the No. 21 Bruins were ranked in the final AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches surveys.

“I am excited about our football program under the leadership of Coach Kelly and his talented personnel,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a ready declaration. “The football program is on an upward trajectory, both on the field and in the classroom. Coach Kelly and his staff have done an incredible job developing young men as demonstrated by their scholastic excellence.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, the two-year extension ensures Kelly will make $6.1 million throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons before getting bumped up to $6.2 million per season in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Kelly’s buyout, according to the Times, is $8.5 million if he’s dismissed before December 2023 and $4.27 million if he is fired prior to December 2024. The university would not owe him anything in December 2025.

Kelly would owe the school $3 million if he left prior to completion of this season and $1.5 million if he left before the end of the 2025 season, according to the Times.Editor’s Picks 2 Related Led by quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and running back Zach Charbonnet, the 2022 group became the school’s first to balance more than 500 lawns of total offense. It finished fourth in the country at 503.6. UCLA was the only FBS team with 3,463 passing backyards and 3,084 rushing yards.The Bruins averaged 237.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 6th nationally and first in the Pac-12. Charbonnet balanced a conference-best 135.9 hurrying lawns and an FBS-leading 168.0 all-purpose yards.In a school-record 48 begins at quarterback, Thompson-Robinson set profession records for completions (860),

goal passes(88 ), overall touchdowns(116), passing yards(10,710), quarterback hurrying lawns (1,826) and overall offense (12,536 backyards ). Defensively, the Bruins held groups to 130.3 hurrying backyards per game. Edge rusher Laiatu Latu, who was named a College Football Return Gamer of the Year Award winner in his first year given that transferring from Washington, had 10.5 sacks and 3 required fumbles.