Bill Belichick hasn’t been shy this week about praising Chip Kelly, whose San Francisco 49ers will host Belichick’s New England Patriots this Sunday afternoon.
Kelly, who first made a name for himself as an offensive coordinator at the University of New Hampshire, returned the favor Wednesday in a conference call with New England media members.
“(Belichick is a) good friend,” Kelly said, via the Boston Herald. “He’s always been very, very kind to me, whether I was at New Hampshire or Oregon or now, when I’ve been in the NFL. Very good friend. …
“I was just very thankful that he is a friend of mine, and I’ve got great respect for him. Excited about the matchup this week and getting a chance to coach against him again.”
The 49ers coach also used the opportunity to crack a joke about Belichick’s well-known disdain for social media.
“We’re Facebook friends,” Kelly said. “We spend a lot of time online together.”
Kelly is 1-0 against Belichick during his NFL coaching career. Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles upset the Patriots 35-28 at Gillette Stadium last season — a fact Belichick has drilled into his players’ minds this week.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
