LOS ANGELES — It’s official. UCLA football announced Saturday morning that it has hired Bob Chesney, James Madison coach, as its 20th head football coach in program history.
Chesney, 48, becomes the first sitting head coach that UCLA has hired since poaching Pepper Rodgers from Kansas in 1971. Friday night, Chesney led No. 25 James Madison to a Sun Belt Championship victory, defeating Troy 31-14 for its first conference title since joining the Sun Belt.
James Madison now has a 12-1 record and an outside shot at the College Football Playoff should Duke defeat Virginia in the ACC championship contest.
“UCLA is a very special place,” Chesney said in a release. “From its stellar academics, impactful alumni, geographic location and deep recruiting base, this is a program that can and WILL win at the highest level.”
He continued: “Leadership is ready. The alumni are ready. The fanbase is ready. And I am ready. I look forward to working together as we bring this program to the standard of excellence it deserves.”
Chesney led the Dukes to a 9-4 record a year ago and a Boca Raton Bowl victory. James Madison has taken a large step forward in 2025, tearing through competition to the extent of dominance in Group of Six action.
Before going to James Madison, Chesney coached at Holy Cross from 2018-23, becoming a three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year in the FCS and accruing a 44-21 record overall.
Chesney’s career has been marked by success at every stop, never holding a losing record at Division III Salve Regina nor Division II Assumption University. His only losing record came in his first season at Holy Cross.
“Bob Chesney has built programs into consistent winners at every stop in his career, and he’s ready to do it at UCLA,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement. “From our very first conversation, he articulated a clear vision of success for UCLA Football and a plan to elevate our program back to national prominence. From his detail-oriented approach to running a program, to his ability to connect, Bob impressed our search committee every step of the way. He’s a leader, a consensus builder and a developer of young men, and I’m thrilled to welcome him and his family to Westwood.”
Since the Southern California New Group reported Monday that Chesney was set to become UCLA’s head football coach, the hints continued to pile up.
On Thursday and Friday, the Bruins signed James Madison recruits – quarterback DJ Bordeaux and offensive lineman Michael Price, the latter a direct flipped commitment from the Dukes – and added running back Jayden Fox and offensive lineman Quinn Buckey to round out the signing day class at 16 players.
While it’s still unknown which James Madison staffers will be joining Chesney in Westwood, Bordeaux told SCNG that the “elite coaching staff” coming to UCLA partially swayed his signing Thursday.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Monday that UCLA is expected to allow Chesney to coach in the College Football Playoff should James Madison earn a berth.
“Amidst a crowded field of elite talent, Bob Chesney stood out as the clear choice,” said Casey Wasserman, who served on the hiring committee, via release. “His track record of building championship cultures is undeniable, and his vision for excellence makes him the perfect fit to lead us into this new era.”
Chesney will be introduced at a press conference at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at UCLA.
James Madison announced its hire of former Florida head coach Billy Napier at the same time as UCLA revealed Chesney.
“Simply put, Bob Chesney is a great coach and person,” said James Madison athletic director Matt Roan via release.
Former UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper landed at Cal Poly earlier this week, signing a five-year contract to coach the FCS program after his rollercoaster season with the Bruins after Deshaun Foster was fired after a 0-3 start.
