Oregon’s Kelly Wins Walter Camp Award

Oregon’s Chip Kelly was named national coach of the year Monday by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

The honor was no less than the third of the sort for Kelly, also named coach of the year by the Football Writers Association of America and The Sporting News.

He is a finalist for at least two other national coach of the year awards.

Kelly guided the second-ranked Ducks through a 12-0 regular season, setting up a clash with No. 1 Auburn for the Bowl Championship Series title on Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz. He was also named Pac-10 Conference coach of the year for the second straight season.

Kelly is the first Oregon coach and just the third in Pac-10 history to win the Walter Camp award. The honor is bestowed after a vote of FBS coaches and sports information directors.

“I’ve always thought (that) every single one of those awards are just a recognition of the program and everybody within the program,” Kelly said. “When you look at who won it and what happened to them that year to win the award, it’s because the team had success. You don’t win it when you’re 5-7.

“We’re obviously 12-0, but it’s the quintessential team sport. Everybody has a hand in it.

“So when we get something like that, it’s really something that, we’re honored to have it, but we’re all honored to have it. That’s just representative of our team and the whole organization. Everyone kind of shares in that one.”

The second-year UO coach is close to being the most highly decorated coach in school history.

Rich Brooks won no fewer than four national coach of the year awards after guiding Oregon to the Rose Bowl during the 1994 season.

“It’s a great feeling, to know that everything coach Kelly went through this offseason and last season, for him to get the recognition that he does and get this team back on the track that he has it on, it’s a special thing,” UO running back Kenjon Barner said.

Kelly will be honored at the Walter Camp foundation’s awards banquet Jan. 15 in New Haven, Conn. Also on hand will be the organization’s all-America team, including UO running back LaMichael James.

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