Kelly 'really happy' with scaled-back Ohio State OC role

Chip Kelly said he knew he wanted to scale back his responsibilities as UCLA's head coach before leaving to become Ohio State's offensive coordinator.

"I had started to think, 'I haven't actually coached a position since 2008,'" Kelly told reporters Tuesday, via Eleven Warriors. "I think my wife remarked, 'I haven't seen you this happy in a long time.' To me, the best part of football is football. So, you've got to do football and not do some of the things involved with the head coaching deal."

Kelly added: "I just want to be happy, and I'm really happy coaching a position. I'm really happy to be at this place. It would've taken a special place for me to leave UCLA."

Following a win in the LA Bowl over Boise State, Kelly said he began to contemplate his career as a head coach. He ultimately decided to make the unconventional move from head coach of a Power 5 program - where he led the Bruins to a 35-34 record over six seasons - to an assistant role. UCLA named DeShaun Foster as Kelly's successor last month.

It marks the first time that Kelly has served as an assistant on a coaching staff since being the OC at Oregon from 2007-08. But the former head coach said he doesn't miss the numerous responsibilities of what he described as a CEO role.

"As a head coach, you sit in on position meetings, but you always get pulled out. There's other things that are involved with being a head coach. I think it's more of a CEO operation right now. The job and the landscape ... of college football have changed," Kelly said.

Though unorthodox, Kelly said he believes other coaches could make a similar move as him in the near future.

"I can't tell you how many coaches that have called me since I made this decision that said, 'I'm two years behind you, brother,' that are thinking the same exact way," Kelly said.