UCLA Lands Bob Chesney as New Head Coach - A Calculated Gamble with a Proven Winner
For a UCLA football program that’s been stuck in neutral - or, let’s be honest, reverse - this feels like a rare win. Not on the field, but in the process. UCLA has hired Bob Chesney as its next head football coach, and while the results will take time to show up on the scoreboard, the early signs point to a program finally making a forward-thinking move.
Chesney, currently wrapping up a stellar season with James Madison, will take over in Westwood once his 11-1 Dukes finish their run - either after the Sun Belt title game against Troy or, if the stars align, after a possible College Football Playoff appearance. He’s reportedly inked a five-year deal to lead the Bruins, and unlike some coaching searches that devolve into drama and detours, this one stayed on course.
Quiet. Efficient.
Effective.
That alone is a win for a program that’s often been its own worst enemy when it comes to big decisions.
A New Direction in Westwood
This wasn’t your typical UCLA hire. For decades, the Bruins have leaned heavily on NFL pipelines or internal promotions - a formula that hasn’t exactly produced consistent success since the early '90s.
This time, the search committee, featuring names like Casey Wasserman, Bob Myers, Adam Peters, and former Bruin great Eric Kendricks, went outside the box. They didn’t chase a flashy name or recycle a familiar face.
They went after a builder - someone who’s made a career out of turning around programs that were flatlining.
At 48, Chesney brings a resume full of transformation. He’s not just a coach with a good record - he’s a guy who walks into broken locker rooms and walks out with banners.
Track Record of Turnarounds
Let’s run it back.
At Division III Salve Regina, he inherited a team with eight straight losing seasons. Three years later? Three straight winning ones.
At Division II Assumption College, he took over a program that had two winning seasons in the previous 17 years. Under Chesney? Five straight winning seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Then came Holy Cross, where he delivered five Patriot League titles and four FCS playoff trips - all for a program that had only one 8-win season in the 13 years before he arrived.
And now James Madison. Chesney didn’t just maintain a good thing - he evolved it.
In 2024, he took over a team with 64 newcomers. In 2025, that number was 54.
Still, the Dukes didn’t just survive - they dominated, leading the Sun Belt in both scoring offense and defense. That’s not just plugging holes.
That’s building a battleship on the fly.
“We’ve always been a little behind every place I’ve been,” Chesney said recently. “We usually leave ahead.”
That’s the kind of mindset UCLA desperately needs.
Bruins Hit Rock Bottom - Now the Rebuild Begins
Let’s not sugarcoat it: UCLA just wrapped up a 3-9 season. The Bruins were outclassed in their finale, a 29-10 loss to USC that felt more like a resignation than a rivalry. Since mid-September, interim coach Tim Skipper tried to steady the ship after DeShaun Foster - the former UCLA star turned head coach - was let go just three games into his first season.
That followed the Chip Kelly era, which ended with a whimper: a 35-34 record over six seasons, a few high points, but never the breakthrough the program had hoped for when it brought him in from the NFL.
Now, Chesney inherits a team low on confidence, short on momentum, and facing all the challenges that come with being a Big Ten program in a city that doesn’t wait long for results. Oh, and there’s the looming question of where UCLA will play its home games - with the Rose Bowl’s future uncertain and SoFi Stadium possibly in play.
The Big Ten Awaits - and So Does the Spotlight
Chesney has never coached on the West Coast. He’s never operated under the bright lights of a Power Five program, let alone one now navigating the Big Ten’s physical grind and media microscope.
He’s never dealt with the University of California’s unique blend of bureaucracy and booster politics. This is a different beast.
But while the stage is bigger, the blueprint doesn’t change. Build culture.
Develop players. Win the locker room before you win the scoreboard.
And by all accounts, Chesney knows how to do that.
“He’s the type of guy who can walk into a restaurant and have you convinced their french fries are the best in the world,” said James Madison defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler.
Former Holy Cross safety Chris Riley once put it simply: “Coach Chesney knows how to win.”
And Mike Uva, who played under Chesney at Holy Cross, described the shift when Chesney arrived: “Night and day different in the way he prepares, the way he’s in command and the way he operates.”
What Comes Next
This isn’t a guaranteed fix. No hire is.
But what UCLA has done is give itself a shot - not just at relevance, but at a real identity. Chesney doesn’t come with a celebrity aura or a flashy scheme.
He comes with results. With structure.
With belief.
And in a program that’s been spinning its wheels for over a decade, that’s a pretty good place to start.
So no, this isn’t a victory parade just yet. But it’s a win.
A real one. And for UCLA football, that’s a start worth celebrating.