UCLA Takes a Big Swing: Bob Chesney Set to Lead Bruins Into New Era
UCLA is going bold. After years of searching for the right fit to restore its football program to national relevance, the Bruins are closing in on a five-year deal with James Madison head coach Bob Chesney - a hire that says a lot about where the program wants to go, and who they believe can take them there.
Chesney isn’t your typical Power 2 hire. He’s not a splashy name from a blue blood.
He hasn’t spent time on the West Coast. But what he has done is win - consistently, and often against the odds.
At just 48 years old, Chesney brings with him a head coaching record of 129-51, including a 20-5 mark over the past two seasons at James Madison. That’s not just impressive - that’s elite production from a coach who’s had to do more with less. And now, with the Dukes set to host the Sun Belt title game and still clinging to an outside shot at the College Football Playoff, Chesney’s stock has never been higher.
It’s no surprise he was one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel this cycle. Lane Kiffin and Jon Sumrall were in the mix for big jobs, and Alex Golesh nearly landed elsewhere in the SEC before Auburn scooped him up. But Chesney stood out - not just for the wins, but for how he got them.
Much like Curt Cignetti - his predecessor at JMU and a fellow Pennsylvania native - Chesney has climbed the coaching ladder from the small-school ranks with grit, sharp evaluation skills, and a knack for building programs from the ground up. Both coaches have a certain edge, and both have a proven ability to find talent in places others overlook.
Most importantly, both win. And that’s what UCLA is banking on.
The Bruins are hoping Chesney can be their version of Cignetti - a coach who can take a program with untapped potential and finally unlock it. Cignetti’s rapid success at Indiana has shown that it’s possible to win big even at traditionally tough jobs, and UCLA is betting Chesney can do the same in Westwood.
Now, let’s be clear: this is a big leap. Chesney is jumping from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten, from the East Coast to the West Coast, and into a program that’s long been more promise than payoff.
UCLA has cycled through seven head coaches since Terry Donahue retired in 1995. Each one had moments, but none could sustain success.
The job has a reputation: great on paper, tougher in practice.
Alums like Karl Dorrell, Rick Neuheisel, and DeShaun Foster came in with institutional knowledge but couldn’t find the formula. Jim Mora had a solid run, but it fizzled. Chip Kelly brought national buzz, but the program never fully turned the corner.
So now, UCLA is going off-script. They’re not hiring a West Coast insider or a big-name retread.
They’re bringing in a proven program builder who’s never worked out west but knows how to maximize limited resources. And this time, the school appears to be doing more than just handing over the keys and saying, “Figure it out.”
There’s a concerted effort to smooth out some of the long-standing hurdles - including the much-discussed Rose Bowl logistics - and to give Chesney a real shot at building something sustainable. That matters. Because if you’re going to make a jump this big, you need more than a coach - you need alignment.
Chesney could’ve stayed at James Madison, where the school was reportedly ready to invest heavily in the program heading into 2026. He had a good thing going, and another playoff push next year wasn’t out of the question.
But opportunities like this don’t come around often. And while he may not have landed at Penn State or another East Coast power, the UCLA job offers something those others didn’t: a bit more patience, a little less pressure, and a lot of potential.
In Westwood, there’s room to grow. There’s time to build. And there’s access to elite talent in one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country - not to mention the allure of Los Angeles and a campus just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Of course, there’s always some risk when a Group of 6 coach makes the leap to the Power 2 ranks, especially without regional ties. But Chesney’s résumé speaks for itself.
He’s a coach who wins, who builds, and who gets the most out of his teams. That’s exactly what UCLA needs right now.
Bruins fans have reason to be excited. This isn’t just another name on the list - this is a calculated swing at long-term success. If Chesney can follow even part of Cignetti’s path, UCLA could finally find itself back in the national conversation.
And after years of false starts and unmet expectations, that’s a bet worth making.