If Chip Kelly was bothered by the criticism he faced from the father of UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, he certainly did not show it.
Kelly was asked on Tuesday about the criticism from DTR’s father and said he had “no response,” while adding that everyone is entitled to an opinion.
“I have no response. I mean, everybody’s entitled to their opinion; that’s what’s the great thing about sports. When you win, people say good things and when you don’t win, people don’t say good things. That’s life, you know?” Kelly said, via the Los Angeles Times’ Ben Bolch.
Kelly was also asked whether the comments put Dorian in a tough spot. He said that was a question for the quarterback to answer, and added that he enjoys coaching the QB.
Chip Kelly, asked if DTR's father's comments put QB in tough spot: "That’s a question you should ask Dorian. I don’t speak for other people. I love Dorian; Dorian’s awesome to coach. If he makes a mistake, it’s a one-time mistake. I’ve said that about 100 times about him so far."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) September 18, 2018
Kelly is in his first season as UCLA’s head coach, and the season has gone terribly. The team is 0-3 and in danger of experiencing one of the worst seasons in school history. Graduate transfer quarterback Wilton Speight suffered a back injury in the opener against Cincinnati, leading UCLA to go with Thompson-Robinson, a true freshman.
Thompson-Robinson, who was a highly-ranked recruit coming out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, has served as the Bruins’ quarterback since Speight got hurt, and he has not performed well. He has completed 54.7 percent of his passes for 522 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 21 yards. Thompson-Robinson has struggled with his accuracy and command of the offense and has looked very much like an inexperienced true freshman.
After the Bruins got blasted 38-14 at home by Fresno State, a game in which DTR completed just 10 of 24 passes and was even off the mark on some of the passes he did complete, his father criticized Kelly via Twitter.
He is speaking on and about the factual… It is all about the coaching, lousy coaching and play calling… Coaching that is so bad that it demands closed practices… Million dollar coach who bares no responsibility… Just random observations from a frustrated dad!
— Michael Robinson (@DoriansDAD) September 17, 2018
Look, coach Kelly, if you wish to call him this is 4 and 26 for his last offensively called football games… Dorian has only played in 3 of the last 30 games… Can you say duped!
— Michael Robinson (@DoriansDAD) September 17, 2018
His years at Oregon was simply a fluke on his part… I am sure that he stood on the shoulders of the actual player callers… Random thoughts, outside looking in, closed practices…
— Michael Robinson (@DoriansDAD) September 17, 2018
Yes, that’s Robinson calling Kelly’s time at Oregon a “fluke,” even though Kelly was 46-7 over four seasons and went to four straight BCS games there. That is consistent top-notch performance and very much the opposite of a fluke. As for the “duped” claim, Thompson-Robinson was recruited by previous Bruins coach Jim Mora, but stood by his commitment to the school even after the change to Kelly.
Robinson should realize how lucky his son is to have an opportunity to start as a true freshman for a major program and to play for such an accomplished coach. The tweets come across as nothing more than the selfish, bitter rantings of a frustrated father who is blaming the coach for everything and not assigning any responsibility to his son, who has not played well.
Robinson is doing himself and his son no favors with his comments. If he’s trying to follow in LaVar Ball’s footsteps, he should rethink his strategy.
