Alabama Crimson Tide

Skip Bayless explains why Chip Kelly could never work for Nick Saban at Alabama

Published Feb. 8, 2017 1:18 p.m. ET

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Chris Bahr

Almost immediately after the news broke Tuesday that Steve Sarkisian was leaving his post as Alabama’s offensive coordinator to take the same job with the Atlanta Falcons, the speculation began about whom Nick Saban would hire to run the Tide’s offense.

And one name continued to pop up: Former Oregon Ducks/Philadelphia Eagles/San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly. But while it looks good on paper, is this a match that really would work?




Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe debated it on Wednesday’s edition of “Undisputed” on FS1, and Skip was very pessimistic about this possible pairing (see video above).

“There is no way this can work. We’re talking about two bull elephants here in Saint Nick and Chip Kelly. These two have two of the biggest egos I’ve ever been around. These two each think they are the smartest man in every room, and all the sudden they would be in the same room. They might have to be separated occasionally.

“Can you imagine Nick Saban throwing a fit in the face of Chip Kelly on the sideline during a game for calling the wrong plays? You’d see the first walk-off by an offensive coordinator because Chip Kelly would walk right to the locker room and say, ‘You can take this job and do you know what with it.’ It won’t work. I like it in concept, but those two won’t fit together.”

Nick Saban

 John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Shannon responded by saying no one thought Lane Kiffin would work well under Saban, either.

“I did," Skip said, "because I know Lane well enough that he grew up in a football family, and he knows about egos – his father had a pretty big one because he earned it. But Lane knew how to play off – how to fend off – Nick Saban’s personality and his fits of rage.”

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