Chip Kelly was formally introduced as the Philadelphia Eagles' next head coach on Thursday, as Kelly met with members of the media for an introductory press conference.
Though the decision to leave Oregon was difficult, Kelly conceded that Philadelphia is where he wanted to be, noting that the Eagles are an "iconic franchise" with a "passionate owner," and Philadelphia's fan base excites him.
Before accepting the job in Philadelphia, Kelly spoke to former Eagles head coaches Dick Vermeil and Andy Reid, both of whom spoke highly of the Philadelphia organization. Kelly also noted the youth and speed on Philadelphia's roster attracted him to this particular job.
As expected, Kelly was asked about the success of the spread offense, and the up-tempo, no huddle offense that the New England Patriots run -- a system that borrows components from Kelly's offense at Oregon. Kelly noted that coaches who run the read-option offense, such as Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh, cater to the strengths of their football teams, and do a tremendous job maximizing the talents of the personnel in place -- much like the Patriots do with Tom Brady.
On his own quarterback situation, Kelly told reporters that he's a "huge fan" of Nick Foles, and that durability is one of the most important traits a quarterback can have. Kelly recounted a game when Oregon's defense continued to hit Foles, when he was the quarterback at Arizona, but Foles continued to stand tall in the pocket and deliver the football.
Still, Kelly would not rule out bringing Michael Vick back to Philadelphia next season. Kelly specifically said that nobody has been "ruled in or ruled out."
No matter who the quarterback is for Philadelphia in 2013, Kelly plans to develop a scheme that will tailor to the quarterback, and the team's, strength, noting that the Eagles' scheme will be "personnel driven."
Kelly downplayed the idea that he needed to have complete control of the organization, saying his role is to define what he wants in a player, and collaborating on personnel decisions. Kelly said that he "just want[s] to coach football," and that he has no "delusions of different titles."
Kelly also said that his offensive and defensive coordinators can't be worried about Kelly looking over their shoulders, or Kelly second guessing their decisions on game day -- and that the Eagles' coaching staff must have one collective vision.
Defensively, Kelly said that he wants the Eagles to have an "attacking style" defense that "dictates the tempo of the game."
Kelly told reporters that potential sanctions against Oregon did not influence his decision to leave.