Alabama coach Nick Saban isn’t going to be the Texas coach. More NFL coaches have now entered the universe of men who may eventually say the same thing.
Days after the names of 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin emerged as candidates (whether they want to be or not) to succeed Mack Brown, Chris Mortensen has mentioned a trio of other current NFL coaches: Mike McCarthy of the Packers, Pete Carroll of the Seahawks, and Chip Kelly of the Eagles.
Prior reports indicate that Texas wants a coach who has won a national championship in college or a Super Bowl. Kelly has accomplished neither.
Per Mortensen, an Eagles spokesman “laughed off” the possibility of Kelly leaving. One basis for guffaws would be the 18-month show cause imposed by the NCAA on Kelly. Mort downplayed the sanction’s potential impact on Texas interest in Kelly.
Kelly also reportedly misses some aspects of coaching a college team, which includes having to deal with no free agency, no draft, no owner, and no G.M.
The terms of NFL coaching contracts also would be a potential obstacle for Kelly or anyone else whose name has emerged, absent language allowing a former college coach to return to the NCAA whenever he wants.