Much has been made about the relationships between San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly and his players when he was the head coach in Philadelphia. Former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy said that Kelly didn’t “like or respect star players.” Thus far 49ers players have no ill will towards their new head coach although their record is a staggering 1-12.
Former Eagles running back DeMarco Murray had one of his most challenging seasons in Philadelphia and spoke to NFL Network about his time there. When he was asked about his conversations with Kelly about his struggles to be productive on the field, here is what he said:
He just said ‘this is the system and this is what we’re going to do’ and obviously I didn't agree with it, but alright, this is the situation and I’ll just try my best and continue to just work hard.
When asked about McCoy’s comments about Kelly and star players, Murray expressed his feelings about his former head coach:
I spent a year with Chip and I can say from the bottom of my heart that I thought he was a great guy, very, obviously had a tough time our last year in Philly and this year, but I think his system is great, if you get the right personnel that he’s used to having to run that run that system. By no means do I think he was racist or he didn't like star players. I think he gave everybody a fair chance to play but at the end of the day, you know, he’s the head coach and he knows what’s best for the program and the team and he’ll make the decisions.
It seems that Murray was being sincere when talking about his former head coach. He was frustrated during his time with the Eagles and stated that he watched a lot of McCoy’s film trying to see where he could improve. Obviously, his suggestions to adjust the system, however, fell on deaf ears. I don’t think that this is an anomaly in sports, as the head coach is the head coach for a reason, but it is a little more insight on the workings of Kelly and his coaching methodology.