Bob Chesney is getting a chance to follow a path that already looks awfully familiar to college football fans.
Curt Cignetti set the template first at James Madison, where he turned the Dukes into a Sun Belt power before carrying that success to Indiana and putting together an undefeated, unrivaled season that ended with a National Championship. At JMU, Cignetti’s impact was massive enough to put him in the conversation for the greatest single influence in college football history.
Now Chesney is the one being asked to chase that kind of leap.
In two seasons at James Madison, Chesney delivered the program’s best FBS run yet. He went 12-1, won the Sun Belt Championship and got the Dukes into the College Football Playoff in just his second season. That kind of quick turnaround naturally invites comparisons to Cignetti, and Chesney may have even given him a run for his money in overall success during that stretch.
The next test comes at UCLA, where Chesney is bringing along a group of transfers from James Madison in hopes of recreating what worked in Harrisonburg. The jump to the Big Ten is a steep one, and competing in one of the toughest conferences in football won’t be easy. But Cignetti already showed that the leap can be made.
Chesney’s players seem to believe that, too.
UCLA defensive lineman Darold DeNgohe, who began his career under Cignetti at James Madison before playing for Chesney after Cignetti left, was asked about the similarities between the two coaches. His answer was telling:
"I mean, they’re both great coaches, you know?...they’re both different people, they have their own ways, they go about certain things differently, but they’re both great coaches, they know how to win, they love winning and they know how to get the best out of you, so I would say they’re definitely similar in that aspect of how great they can be as coaches, but they’re definitely different."
That’s the kind of praise that gives UCLA reason to be optimistic. Chesney has major shoes to fill, and the comparisons to Cignetti are going to follow him whether he wants them or not. They took similar routes to get here, and now Chesney has his own shot to prove that what happened at James Madison can translate to a much bigger stage.
In Other News...
Bob Chesney Faces UCLA's Real Test Much Sooner Than Fans Wanted
Bob Chesney arrives in Westwood with the kind of rsum UCLA fans can get behind, having guided James Madison to a Sun Belt Conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth before taking over for DeShaun Foster. The Bruins are already trying to absorb the habits that follow him, from the accountability and discipline he is expected to demand to the familiar faces he has brought over from his former program, all while leaning on a handful of key returners to help steady the transition.
The problem for UCLA is that the easing-in period looks short. A challenging schedule is waiting, which means Chesney will not get long to sort out chemistry, install his approach or find out how quickly the new pieces can fit together. For a program that wanted a cleaner runway into this next era, the real test appears to be arriving sooner than anyone around the Bruins would have liked. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Defensive Rebuild Now Hinges On Two Bruins Who Know It Best
The defensive reset at UCLA has a familiar feel for Aiden Gobaira and Darold DeNgohe, two linemen who already know Bob Chesneys system from their time with him at James Madison. Both arrived with a practical purpose beyond adding depth up front: they are helping new Bruins learn the scheme as UCLA tries to steady a defensive line that struggled through a difficult 2025 season. For a group trying to change its footing quickly, having two players who can translate the playbook from experience matters almost as much as the reps themselves.
Gobairas path back to this point has been especially notable, given how much he has had to overcome to get back on the field, while DeNgohe brings another layer of continuity to the room after reuniting with Chesney in Westwood. The Bruins are counting on that shared background to speed up the rebuild, but the bigger question is how quickly that familiarity turns into production once the season pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Nico Iamaleava Faces A Big UCLA Test In Year Two
Nico Iamaleava is heading into his second season at UCLA with the kind of attention that comes with being the Bruins quarterback, but his focus has stayed on the details that shape a season long before kickoff. He said he wants to be more consistent in both preparation and play, and he sounded like a player who is settling into an offense that now feels more familiar as fall camp unfolds.
Iamaleava also pointed to head coach Bob Chesneys steady approach as part of what has helped him grow. For UCLA, the stakes are simple enough: if Iamaleava keeps progressing through camp and carries that comfort into the fall, the Bruins give themselves a better chance to make this season count. [Read more 🡒]