I copied this off the Swamp Gas Forum:
8:33 p.m.: In speaking with industry experts, including two high-powered agents
notintimately involved in this particular search but aware of the negotiations,
OnlyGators.com has been told that it was believed that Chip Kelly was on his way to Florida as recent as early Wednesday. And while some are starting to think otherwise after UCLA’s pitch and insertion into the process, most still hold that belief. Kelly’s greatest hesitation at this time is believed to be the pressure that comes along with coaching and recruiting in the SEC compared to that of the Pac-12, a conference he has already dominated and that is of great familiarity to him. More than anything else, it is believed that Kelly is “just playing the game” at this time, which lends to the below report that he is looking to extract more from the Gators, whether that is decision-making power, money, etc.
8:25 p.m.: CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd reported late Wednesday that Chip Kelly is expected to make his decision on Sunday. He further disputed reports that Kelly had already chosen UCLA and noted that Kelly had previously entered into a “non-binding agreement” with Florida. Furthermore, Dodd reported that “Florida and Kelly are believed to be going back and forth” on retaining current assistants with defensive coordinator
Randy Shannon being one of those mentioned.
Chomp: It would truly be shocking if the Gators allowed assistants — particularly Shannon — to stand in the way of hiring Kelly, a coach who went 46-7 in his lone run as a head coach on the collegiate level. Kelly making a decision on Sunday appears to be a no-brainer at this point, though the non-binding agreement adds another level of intrigue to a situation that has been reported in a variety of ways at this point.