UCLA announced the hiring of Chip Kelly as the school’s new head football coach this morning. Kelly got a five year, $23.3 million dollar deal with a $9 million dollar reciprocal buyout.

The hiring was expected. Kelly was interested in the job and met with the UCLA administration last weekend. Kelly also met with officials from Florida last weekend, but the Gators decided to move on yesterday, focusing instead on Central Florida coach Scott Frost.

UCLA is a better fit for Kelly. He has had success in the PAC-12 in the past at Oregon and has recruited California. Kelly has recruiting in-roads throughout the west coast. He will be able to recruit against Clay Helton and USC as well as the rest of the conference.

As far as how Kelly’s spread offense will work at UCLA, the Bruins will be fine. UCLA ran the spread offense the first three years of Jim Mora’s tenure when Noel Mazzone was his offensive coordinator. The Bruins had some success with it so there shouldn’t be much of a transition.

UCLA desperately wants to be a player in the national college football landscape. This hiring allows them to do that. Kelly is motivated and wants to prove that he is an elite caliber coach. He will recruit well, put together a quality staff that can coach and take UCLA to the next level. Chip Kelly is back and college football is better for it.