SAN FRANCISCO—The father of San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Chip Kelly, Paul Kelly passed away on Friday, December 2 at the age of 87. Kelly was a retired lawyer and the cause of his death has not been disclosed to the public.
Chip flew from Chicago to New Hampshire to be with family. The 49ers were scheduled to play the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday. The team lost to the Bears 26-6, resulting in their 11th loss in a row. They are now 1-11 for the NFL season.
Kelly, who left the venue after the game in a private car, told officials he had returned to Chicago because his mother wanted him to coach Sunday’s game. He shared that he would be going back to the east coast to be with family, which includes his mother and three siblings.
A story about the Kelly family, which was published in 2009 by The Oregonian, asserted that Paul Kelly served as a heavily influential figure in his son’s life. The profile mentioned that Paul’s focal life concept was “Deeds, not words,” that he was heavily devoted to Chip’s athletic pursuits and was described as “cerebral, successful and competitive.”
SF 49ers General Manager, Trent Baalke, informed readers that Kelly will be taking time off from coaching to support his family this week. Baalke also expressed condolences and support toward Kelly on behalf of the team as well as himself.
The 49ers are scheduled to play the Jets on Sunday, December 11.
