UCLA made a splash on Monday, hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney as its next head coach. The Bruins must view Chesney as a coach capable of helping UCLA climb up the ranks in the Big Ten Conference, with UCLA getting pummelled in its first two seasons in the conference.
The Big Ten will be a new challenge for Bob Chesney, but he appears to be a coach on the rise and he has proven of building a winning program at the FCS and FBS level. After taking over for Curt Cignetti at James Madison for the 2024 season, Chesney has posted a 20-5 record and still has the Dukes in contention for a College Football Playoff spot.
It’ll be interesting to see how much talent Chesney takes with him to Westwood, both from the Dukes roster and their coaching staff. The UCLA roster will likely look much different in 2026 with DeShaun Foster’s recruits potentially heading to the portal while Chesney will bring along some familiar faces to help fill holes.
UCLA’s NIL struggles won’t be entirely fixed by Chesney’s hirings but added NIL collection money could really help Chesney build a competent roster that will help the Bruins hold their own in conference action.
The hiring will bring some new life into the UCLA football program that has struggled in recent years. USA TODAY writer Jordan Mendoza wrote about how Chesney could help elevate the Bruins on both sides of the ball.
“JMU is one of the most complete teams in the country, averaging 37.9 points — good for 10th in FBS — while ranking in 10th in scoring defense at 16 points per game,” Mendoza wrote. “The Bruins have missed a bowl game in the past two years after transitioning to the Big Ten. The conference change came on the heels after a rather sour end to the Chip Kelly tenure, which ended when he left the program in February 2024.”
UCLA won’t be fixed overnight but Monday’s hiring gives the Bruins a shot at finding a long-term solution to the program’s struggles.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Can Bob Chesney elevate the Bruins on both sides of the ball?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
