The NCAA just handed Eagles coach Chip Kelly a meaningless penalty, so it’s probably only appropriate that he responds with an apology that carries similar weight.
Kelly issued a statement regarding the penalties the NCAA imposed on the Oregon football program for violations during Kelly’s tenure there, which included no bowl ban, but a loss of one scholarship for the next two seasons (however will they recover?).
“Now that the NCAA has concluded their investigation and penalized the University of Oregon and its football program, I want to apologize to the University of Oregon, all of its current and former players and their fans,” Kelly said in his statement, via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. “I accept my share of responsibility for the actions that led to the penalties. As I have I stated before, the NCAA investigation and subsequent ruling had no impact on my decision to leave Oregon for Philadelphia.
“I have also maintained throughout that I had every intention to cooperate with the NCAA’s investigation, which I did. I do expect the University of Oregon and its football program to continue to thrive at a high level. They are a talented and resilient group of coaches and players and I’m sure they will attempt to put today’s news behind them very quickly and move forward as they prepare for the 2013 season.”
The 18-month show cause penalty against a coach who just took an NFL job is the ultimate in the kind of double secret probation penalties the college game is best at.
Kelly got out ahead of the posse, just as Pete Carroll did at Southern Cal, so his apology for the slap on the wrist his old school received was the polite thing to do, but doesn’t count for much.