WESTWOOD– Walking off the field Saturday night at the Coliseum, after bitter Crosstown Rival USC had just smashed them 29-10, it felt like rock bottom for the UCLA Bruins
On Monday, December 1, UCLA announced the hiring of Bob Chesney to be the next Head Coach of the UCLA football program.
Chesney is currently coaching James Madison University, leading the Dukes to a phenomenal 11-1 record this season. He has a reputation for quickly turning the program around in a hurry.
After a disastrous 3-9 mark, firing former Head Coach DeShaun Foster early in the season and uncertainty surrounding their future at the Rose Bowl- the Bruins are banking on Chesney revamping the team and inspiring hope.
Since 2018, UCLA has only had three winning seasons, and it hasn’t won 10 games since 2014. The Bruins also haven’t won a conference title in the 21st century.
Once Chesney’s hiring is finalized, UCLA gets a coach with a consistent track record of winning, as athletic director Martin Jarmond and the UCLA search committee quickly began the arduous process.
Chesney, a Pennsylvania native, brings a background as an assistant coach on both defense and special teams. He has also developed a reputation as a turnaround artist, as he has resuscitated struggling programs at Division III Salve, and turned FCS Holy Cross into a high-level winner.
Along with being 20-5 at JMU, he’s 131-51 overall as a college head coach over 16 seasons.
“He had an appreciation for UCLA, the academics and the Big Ten,” said a source familiar with the process. “He also had a detailed plan on how to turn the program around.”
Searching for the Bruins next head coach involved a special comitee looking to find the leader to spearhead this iconic school.
The committee viewed Chesney’s background through small college football and his knack of turning around programs as positives. Since arriving in the Big Ten, UCLA is 8-16 overall, bringing about a wake-up call that more investment is needed.
Welcome to UCLA coach Chesney.
