UCLA has acquired one of the most promising football coaches on the market, operating on a different strategy than it did nearly two years ago when it was underwhelmingly recruiting.
Ending a pursuit that has become increasingly difficult to keep quiet in recent weeks, the Bruins plan to hire James Madison coach Bob Chesney on a five-year contract, in a move first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. As part of the deal, Chesney is expected to remain with his current team through a potential College Football Playoff appearance with the Dukes.
The move represents a dramatic shift for a program in desperate need of a turnaround, and the Bruins will be led by an up-and-coming coach who has won big wherever he’s been as part of his own storybook rise. UCLA athletic department officials have not confirmed any impending hirings, which are expected to be announced after James Madison plays against Troy in Friday’s Sun Belt Conference championship game.
Having achieved great success at the Division III, Division II, Football Championship Subdivision and Football Bowl Subdivision levels, Chesney takes on his greatest challenge: reviving a Big Ten team that has failed to accomplish anything of national significance for more than a quarter-century.
Winning at the Power Four level is the only hole in Chesney’s resume. Chesney, who had great success at small college programs Salve Regina and Assumption, led the Crusaders to Holy Cross, where he led the Crusaders to five straight Patriot League titles and four FCS playoff appearances, including their first quarterfinal appearance in 40 years.
The wave of jubilation increased even more when Chesney replaced Curt Cinetti with James Madison. After the team finished 9-4 in his debut season in 2024, Chesney led the Dukes to an 11-1 record this season, remaining undefeated in the Sun Belt Conference and putting the Dukes in contention for a College Football Playoff spot.
Chesney’s core philosophy includes fostering a growth mindset and instilling confidence through competitions where celebrations are judged as rigorously as what’s happening on the field.
“For me, it’s the ability to celebrate small successes, and when you see someone stand a little taller and bulge with pride, you build that confidence and want to repeat that success,” Chesney said in a video for the Harbaugh Coaching Academy.
Chesney, 48, who won the support of UCLA’s coaching search committee with his outgoing and charismatic personality, must now use those same traits to persuade donors and recruits. UCLA’s name, image and likeness efforts are transitioning to new leadership, and Chesney will have to play a big role in helping the Bruins get the funding they need to compete in the Big Ten. After spending his entire life on the East Coast, the Pennsylvania native has to put down roots in new territory.
He majored in religion at Dickinson College and was a second-team all-conference defensive back. Chesney primarily coached the defensive side during his early years as an assistant and was promoted to defensive coordinator at Johns Hopkins University. But his teams are known for being balanced, with James Madison ranking 10th in the nation with an average of 37.8 points while also ranking 10th with 16 points allowed.
Chesney was substituted for just three games into the season after compiling a 5-10 record at his alma mater. Chesney’s hiring marks a significant departure from the strategy UCLA secured to select Foster, a position coach who was not on anyone else’s shortlist for head coaching candidates.
Chesney is the first incumbent head coach selected by the Bruins since he persuaded Pepper Rogers to leave Kansas before the 1971 season. Rodgers compiled a 19-12-1 record over three seasons at UCLA before attending his alma mater, Georgia Tech.
Bringing in a head coach from elsewhere has historically been a favorable move for UCLA. Tommy Prothro graduated from Oregon State University and went on to a 41-18-3 record (including a Rose Bowl win in 1966) at UCLA before taking a job with the Rams.
Red Sanders left his alma mater, Vanderbilt, for a golden era of football at UCLA, leading the Bruins to a 66-19-1 record and a share of the Bruins’ only national championship in 1954. One can only imagine how different the trajectory of UCLA football would have been had Sanders not died of a heart attack before the 1958 season.
Going with a proven head coach in Chesney could have the added benefit of covering UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond, who was unsuccessful in recruiting Foster. The Bruins finished the season 3-9 under interim coach Tim Skipper after a 29-10 loss to crosstown rival USC. Jarmond presided over a search committee that also included athletic executive Casey Wasserman, former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters, UCLA executive senior associate athletic director Erin Adkins and former Bruins star linebacker Eric Kendricks.
In a reminder of what’s at stake for a long-suffering fan base, UCLA is approaching the 40th anniversary of its last Rose Bowl victory over Iowa on Jan. 1, 1986. The Bruins haven’t played in a Rose Bowl game since 1999, after the season they won their last conference championship.
If all goes well, happier days could return, with the coach’s tried-and-true approach securing it.
