Almost a year ago to the day, the Philadelphia Eagles dismissed head coach Chip Kelly, just before finishing his third season with the club. Kelly was not out of work long; the San Francisco 49ers hired Kelly as their head coach just over two weeks later. But after less that one very poor season in San Francisco, Kelly appears to be dismissed again for the second time in as many years.
Ian Rapoport of of NFL.com reports that both Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke are headed out the door:
Owner Jed York and the 49ers' key decision-makers are expected to replace both embattled GM Trent Baalke and Kelly, multiple sources say. A full house-cleaning is described as "likely" by several people with knowledge of the situation.
A final decision won't come until after the final gun sounds. But it would be a major surprise if either Kelly or Baalke keep their jobs.
A similar report came from ESPN's Adam Shefter, as well.
Heading into the final week of the season, the 49ers are an NFC West worst 2-13. Some of Kelly's coaching hires were considered questionable, which could not have helped the club. The 49ers close the regular season tomorrow at 4:25 EST against the Seattle Seahawks.
Often rumored to return to college coaching where Kelly found success, that may be a better bet now that he was dismissed by two National Football League franchises. Kelly was linked two offseasons ago to USC, before the job went to Clay Helton.
