Bob Chesney has been good to Riley Robell. Robell joined forces with Chesney at James Madison back in 2023 and it’s been uphill ever since. Both Chesney and Robell made the move to Westwood to join the UCLA Bruins this offseason.
Robell followed his head coach to the Bruins, giving UCLA an instant-upgrade on the interior of their offensive line. After redshirting his freshman season, Robell has made 12 starts at guard over the past two seasons, and could very well work his way into the starting lineup this fall for the Bruins.
Barstool Sports personality and former Indiana offensive lineman Mike Katic caught up with Robell to talk about what makes Chesney such a unique leader.
“I think Coach Ches is one of the best leaders of men I’ve ever met in my whole life. It was one of the biggest reasons for me coming here,” Robell said of his coach. “That guy brings everybody to put the best version of themselves out when we’re wearing UCLA on our chest.”
It’s been awhile since UCLA was a threat in college football but Chesney is interested in changing that. Chesney’s dedication is noticed by his players, with several James Madison players flocking to Los Angeles to stay under Chesney.
“Playing for somebody like that is so easy,” Robell said. “I know that if any coach on our staff had the opportunity to, they’re strapping the helmet on, the shoulder pads, and they’re running through somebody’s face for me.”
We’ll see this fall if that level of energy leads to a noticeable change on the field for the Bruins, who are coming off of a gut-wrenching 3-9 season in 2025.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: New UCLA transfer Riley Robell speaks on Bob Chesney as a leader
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
