Cleveland Browns Have Sights Set on Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly

The Cleveland Browns’ mission in finding a new head coach seems to now be clear: find a big-name college coach and hope his philosophy translates well into the NFL.

So who else would be at the top of their coaching list other than current Oregon head coach Chip Kelly?

Browns CEO Joe Banner is now in Arizona, ready to interview Kelly after the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday.

If Banner were to pull it off and make Kelly the new coach, it would certainly be a polarizing move, and not one without plenty of risk. Kelly is considered an offensive innovator at the college level, with his teams playing an unmatched tempo. But the geniuses of college football don’t always do so well in the pros; in fact, those experiments often end in disaster.

But Kelly could be the exception. The consensus is that he’ll be a success in the NFL, if that counts for anything.

The Philadelphia Eagles look to be the other team in the mix for Kelly, and they do have some attractive pieces, including plenty of players that fit his speed-heavy offensive scheme.

But the Browns are willing to give their new head coach total control, which is something that Kelly probably needs. That – and an up-and-coming young roster – might just be enough to bring him to Cleveland.

Will that be the right move, though?