James Madison head coach Bob Chesney to UCLA has been picking up steam in recent days. There remains one hurdle before the two sides can come to an agreement. That hurdle is the Penn State job.
Despite limited FBS experience, Bob Chesney is attracting interest
Chesney is a Pennsylvania native who could likely be swayed to join a bigger and better football program in Happy Valley. Chesney has just two years of FBS head coaching experience but he’s gone 18-5 with James Madison and figures to get a lot of interest from Power Four Conference schools this hiring cycle.
Rumors make it seem the UCLA job is Chesney’s if he wants it
Former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel made it sound as if it was up to Chesney to make a decision this past weekend, likely between the Bruins and holding out for a potential offer from Penn State. On Tuesday, Nittany Lion Wire’s Tolu Akintunde wrote that Penn State is interested in former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Pat Fitzgerald is a good coach but comes with baggage
Fitzgerald had a lot of success with Northwestern but was fired due to a hazing scandal in 2023. Fitzgerald would sue for lawful termination and the two sides would reach a legal settlement.
Fitzgerald could be a really good fit for the Nittany Lions
“According to college football insider Bruce Feldman, who spoke on a recent episode of Chris “The Bear” Fallica’s podcast, Penn State has shown genuine interest in the former Northwestern head coach. Feldman cited conversations with industry sources that point to Fitzgerald being a name under serious consideration by Kraft and Penn State leadership.
Fitzgerald has a history of overachieving in the Big Ten, taking Northwestern to the conference championship game twice, in 2018 and 2020. During his 17-year run as head coach, he finished with a 110-101 record, building a reputation for doing more with less at a school that historically lacked football resources. He was Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2018 and won the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award in 2020, signaling national recognition for what he accomplished in Evanston.
Feldman noted that Penn State insiders are intrigued by Fitzgerald’s ability to maximize limited rosters and think he could thrive with the support and resources available in State College — a place that offers far more than what he had at Northwestern.” Akintunde wrote on Tuesday.
UCLA could land its own star who rises from the lower levels of college football
If Fitzgerald were to land with Penn State, it’d clear the runway for UCLA to bring in Chesney and see if he’s really Curt Cignetti 2.0.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Could Penn State hiring Pat Fitzgerald open the doors for UCLA to hire Bob Chesney?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
