UCLA expected to hire James Madison's Bob Chesney

UCLA is expected to hire James Madison head coach Bob Chesney, sources tell On3. The 48-year-old head coach has risen through the coaching ranks and was also a candidate in Penn State’s coaching search.

Chesney arrived at James Madison after Curt Cignetti’s departure, taking his coaching staff and most of his 11-win roster with him to Indiana. He’s gone 20-5 in his two seasons at James Madison. The Dukes are 11-1 this season and play Troy in the Sun Belt title game this weekend. Chesney is expected to coach in the College Football Playoff if the Dukes make the 12-team playoff.

It’s expected to be a five-year deal for Chesney in Westwood, which will be formalized following the Sun Belt title game. He’s informed his team on Monday of his intentions to take the Bruins job. He went 44-21 at Holy Cross prior to James Madison and 44-16 at Assumption College prior. He brought in 64 new players last offseason, finishing his first season 9-4.

UCLA fired coach DeShaun Foster in September following a winless start to the season. Foster, who was in his second year as the Bruins’ coach, went 5-10 during his short tenure. The move to hire Chesney comes outside of a traditional West Coast hire, but he has constantly won at every step of his head coaching career. He’s 131–51 as a college football head coach.

The Bruins won consistently from 2021 to 2023 with head coach Chip Kelly. But Kelly left UCLA to take the Ohio State offensive coordinator job in February 2024, resulting in Foster being named head coach. UCLA has finished with seven losing seasons in the last 10.