Gruden turns down offer from Oregon

Chip Kelly’s first major task at Oregon was finding someone to fill his old spot as the team’s offensive coordinator. Again rumors began swirling - the two biggest surrounding former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin (recently hired as quarterbacks coach at New Mexico) or Ryan Day (a QB in Kelly’s University of New Hampshire offense from 1997-2001 and a tight ends coach in 2002, now wide receivers coach at Boston College). “I love Ryan, I talk to him all the time about things,” said Kelly in an interview late Friday night. “but not about this. I have only offered the job to one man so far, and that was Jon Gruden.” Gruden and Kelly have a blossoming relationship. … Days after Kelly was named head coach of the Ducks, he contacted Gruden again. Instead of being a “guest coach,” Kelly offered Gruden the job of offensive coordinator. Unfortunately for Kelly and Oregon, it appears Gruden decided to stand by what he told the Sentinel. He wants to learn the spread for future use in the National Football League. A telephone message left with Gruden’s agent Bob LaMonte on Thursday afternoon hadn’t been returned as of 8:35 p.m. Kelly said his offer was appreciated, but not accepted. – Nashua Telegraph