James Madison OC Dean Kennedy joining Bob Chesney's staff at UCLA
Dean Kennedy, the offensive coordinator at James Madison, is expected to join new UCLA head coach Bob Chesney‘s staff in the same capacity at UCLA, On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed Wednesday.
CBS Sports college football senior reporter Matt Zenitz first reported the news.
Kennedy’s addition comes a day after Chesney was officially introduced as the Bruins’ 20th head coach in Westwood. He is Chesney’s first confirmed assistant coaching hire.
“The assemblance of the staff is the important part,” Chesney told “Bruin Insider Show” hosts Nick Koop and Wayne Cook. “There’s people that I have to be loyal to that have been loyal to me.”
Familiarity between Kennedy and Chesney
Kennedy, who is also the Dukes’ quarterbacks coach, is one of four James Madison assistants who were with Chesney at Holy Cross. In all, Kennedy and Chesney have spent the past four seasons together.
Under Kennedy’s guidance, the Dukes have shown significant improvement from Year 1 to Year 2.
This season, James Madison ranks sixth nationally in rushing (245.8 yards per game), 10th in scoring (37.3 points), 13th in total first downs (293), 19th in third-down conversion (47.7%), 22nd in total offense (448.3 yards), 43rd in red zone conversion (87.9%), 47th in passing efficiency (143.27 rating) and 92nd in passing (202.5 yards). Only the team’s passing numbers were better in 2024.
Thanks in large part to the nation’s second-best total defense, the Dukes also ranked second in time of possession (34:05).
Other past stops
On the short list of questions about Chesney’s hire was his lack of Power 4 level experience. Kennedy can help there.
Previous stops include include four years at Florida, where he started as a graduate assistant (2018-20) and added offensive quality control (2020) and assistant quarterbacks coach duties (2020-21). He also was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State in 2017.
Kennedy broke into the coaching ranks on the junior college level as the quarterbacks coach and later the offensive coordinator at ASA Brooklyn.
