Westwood, CA- UCLA turned to a proven winner with deep roots in college football when it hired Bob Chesney as its next head coach, tabbing the veteran leader to guide the Bruins beginning with the 2026 season.
Chesney was hired Dec. 6, 2025, becoming the 20th head coach in UCLA football history and the first sitting head coach hired by the Bruins since Pepper Rodgers in 1971. He replaces a program seeking sustained success and national relevance as it enters a new era of college football.
“This is one of the most storied programs in the country, and the opportunity to lead UCLA football is incredibly humbling,” Chesney said in a statement. “I believe deeply in building a program the right way — with toughness, discipline and a commitment to excellence both on and off the field.”
Chesney brings more than 25 years of collegiate coaching experience to Westwood, including 16 seasons as a head coach across four divisions. He owns a career head coaching record of 132-52 (.717), has won eight conference championships and has overseen the development of 11 All-Americans, including two at the FBS level. His teams have also produced three College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans and 192 all-conference selections.
He arrives at UCLA after a two-year stint at James Madison, where he led the Dukes from 2024-25 to a 21-6 overall record and a series of program firsts. In 2025, James Madison posted an 8-0 Sun Belt Conference record — just the 10th unbeaten conference mark in league history — captured its first Sun Belt championship and earned the program’s first College Football Playoff berth. The Dukes climbed to No. 19 in the AP Top 25 in Week 16, the highest ranking in school history.
Chesney was named the 2025 Sun Belt Coach of the Year and earned national recognition as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the George Munger Award. His 2025 roster was loaded with individual honors, including quarterback Alonza Barnett III as Sun Belt Player of the Year and linebacker Trent Hendrick as Defensive Player of the Year. Running back Wayne Knight earned AP second-team All-America honors and was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award.
UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said Chesney’s track record stood out during the search. “Bob has consistently elevated every program he’s touched,” Jarmond said. “His ability to build culture, develop players and win championships made him the clear choice to lead UCLA football into the future.”
Chesney’s success at James Madison followed a remarkable six-year run at Holy Cross from 2018-23, where he won a program-record five straight Patriot League championships and posted a 44-21 record. He was a three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year and twice earned New England Football Writers Coach of the Year honors. Prior to that, he led Assumption College to five consecutive winning seasons and rebuilt Salve Regina after years of struggles.
A native of Kulpmont, Pennsylvania, Chesney played college football at Dickinson College, where he was a four-year defensive back and team MVP. He now faces his biggest challenge yet — translating a career of success across divisions into wins on the national stage at UCLA, beginning in 2026.
