Bob Chesney didn’t tiptoe into Westwood-he grabbed the mic, stepped into the spotlight at Pauley Pavilion during halftime of UCLA’s basketball game against Indiana, and let the Bruins faithful know exactly what he’s about.
“I did not come here to be average,” Chesney told the crowd. “Understand that we’re about to win a Big Ten championship.”
That’s not a soft launch. That’s a full-throttle, plant-the-flag moment from a coach who’s barely had time to unpack his office.
Just a month into his tenure as UCLA’s head football coach, Chesney is already setting the bar sky-high-and making it clear he’s not here for a rebuild. He’s here to contend.
For Bruins fans, that kind of energy is both refreshing and ambitious. Chesney’s coming off a wildly successful run at James Madison, where he led the Dukes to a Sun Belt title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. That’s no small feat, and it’s part of what earned him the call to jump into one of college football’s most high-profile jobs, now made even more intriguing with UCLA’s move into the Big Ten.
But bold declarations don’t come without blowback-especially in the age of social media. A video of Chesney’s halftime speech quickly made the rounds online, and the reactions were, well, mixed.
Some fans saw echoes of Curt Cignetti, Chesney’s predecessor at JMU, whose fiery guarantees earlier this season turned heads and riled up rivals. Others weren’t so convinced, calling Chesney’s comments a “knockoff” version of Cignetti’s viral moments.
“Bro wants to be Cignetti so bad,” one fan posted.
Another chimed in with a more skeptical take: “No Cignetti. Cignetti called out all of the Big Ten top football teams. Chesney didn’t.”
The pushback didn’t stop there. One user questioned the ambition itself: “Setting your standard at ‘the Big Ten championship’ lol.”
Another gave a nod to the confidence but wasn’t ready to buy in: “Took a page out of Cigs handbook. Giving a Cig-type speech doesn’t make him Cig, but I love the confidence.
Lol.”
And then there were the flat-out dismissals: “Nice try, Bob. Only works one time and your JMU predecessor used that up. Sorry…”
Chesney’s message, though, wasn’t for the skeptics in the comments section. It was for the fans in the stands, the players in the locker room, and the recruits watching from afar. He’s trying to build belief in a program that’s stepping into a new era-and a tougher conference.
And he’s not doing it alone.
Chesney brought seven members of his James Madison staff with him to Westwood, a sign of both loyalty and confidence in the system that got them here. Offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler headline the group.
Chris Smith takes over the offensive line, Eddie Whitley Jr. is coaching the defensive backs, and Drew Canan is handling special teams and tight ends. Chesney called them “the best staff in the world” during his speech, and while that’s a bold claim, there’s no denying the continuity could be a major asset as they transition into Big Ten competition.
This is a pivotal moment for UCLA football. The move to the Big Ten means bigger stages, tougher opponents, and higher expectations. Chesney’s not easing into that reality-he’s charging straight at it.
The question now is whether that energy can translate to wins. The talk is loud, the vision is clear, and the staff is in place. But the real test comes when the helmets are strapped on and the Bruins line up against the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State.
For now, Chesney’s got the mic and the momentum. Soon enough, he’ll need the results.