Chip Kelly will Coach in San Francisco

By Cheri Cheng - 14 Jan '16 16:55PM

The San Francisco 49ers have announced Chip Kelly as their next head coach.

The CEO of the 49ers, Jed York, tweeted that the decision was made "after a thorough search." The team had also interviewed former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, former head coach with the Denver Broncos and the Washington Red Skins Mike Shanahan, Hue Jackson, who is now the Cleveland Browns new coach, and three more other candidates.

According to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, the 49ers decided to fire their one-year heard coach Jim Tomsula after news of Kelly's firing surfaced.

Kelly, 52, was the head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles for three consecutive seasons. With personnel control this past season, Kelly made several questionable moves, such as shipping away LeSean McCoy, which did work out in the Eagles' favor. He was fired right before the season's ender. His three-year record was 26-21.

There were also reports from former players that Kelly was not a player's coach. Some reports claimed that he lost his locker room.

In San Francisco, Kelly will not have personnel control. He will, however, be able to decide on whether or not he wants to keep offensive coordinator Geep Chryst and defensive coordinator Eric Mangini.

With the hiring, the future of Colin Kaapernick continues to remain up in the air.

Per NFL.com:

"The immediate question with Kelly taking over is the future of quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers appeared destined to part with the struggling signal-caller after this season, but perhaps Kelly could convince the organization he can rebuild the athletic quarterback and allow him to thrive in a fast-paced offense. In fact, Kelly reportedly considered trading for Kaepernick while with the Eagles."

ESPN.com noted:

"Kelly's hiring also brings to mind the future of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is recovering from three surgeries -- left shoulder, right thumb and left knee -- and was thought to be done in Santa Clara but whose skill set fits Kelly's offense."

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller believes that Blaine Gabbert, who made eight starts this season, would be a better fit.