A video of Bob Chesney addressing the UCLA Bruins football team went viral on social media last week, with Chesney harping on the importance of respect for each individual within the program, from teammates, to coaches to the chef making the omelettes.
The initial video posted on UCLA’s Twitter page garnered over 600,000 views, illustrating a change in ethos around the Bruins football program.
“The best teams in America, it’s never about any one person,” Chesney said to conclude the video.
UCLA’s women’s basketball coach Cori Close was moved by the video. Close spoke about Chesney and the viral video during her postgame press conference after the Bruins defeated Indiana on Sunday.
“I’m glad he’s our leader. I think he has a servant’s heart,” Close said of Chesney. “I was thrilled about the speech he gave his team, it was all about valuing every person that touches that program. The custodial staff was just as much as part of the team as the quarterback was, or the head coach was.”
Close is the winningest women’s basketball coach in UCLA history, and while Chesney has yet to coach a game with the Bruins, he’s gotten a high praise from Close. Chesney was at Pauley Pavilion to see UCLA blow out the Hoosiers 92-48, for the Bruins 19th win in a row.
“I just thought his character and his leadership shined so brightly in that moment,” Close said. “I not only retweeted it, and said ‘This is spectacular,’ but I texted him and I just thanked him for the kind of leader he’s choosing to be here at UCLA.”
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Cori Close thanks Bob Chesney after his viral message to UCLA team
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
