UCLA hires James Madison head coach Bob Chesney, reportedly staying with Dukes at CFP: sources
UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney to fill its head coaching position, although Chesney is expected to remain with the Dukes through the postseason should they make the College Football Playoff, multiple program sources confirmed to Athletics.
Chesney, 48, has risen quickly through the coaching ranks in recent years, moving from the Football Championship Subdivision’s Holy Cross program to replacing Curt Cignetti at JMU. The Dukes haven’t missed a beat under Chesney, going 20-5 over the past two seasons. He has also had success at Division II and III schools and is 129-51 overall as a college head coach.
James Madison (11-1) faces Troy in the Sun Belt championship game Saturday, with a chance to reach the College Football Playoff as one of the five top-ranked conference champions. Athletics‘s projections model gives the Dukes a 39 percent chance of getting on the field.
Chesney replaces DeShaun Foster, who was fired on September 14 after an 0-3 start. The Bruins were 5-7 last year in Foster’s first season, but offseason hopes rose thanks to the arrival of quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who transferred this spring following a draw dispute at Tennessee. Instead, UCLA seemed lifeless. The Bruins lost to Utah and UNLV, then were beaten 35-10 by New Mexico in the Rose Bowl, leading to Foster’s exit. UCLA was outscored 108-43 in those games.
After Foster’s firing, the rejuvenated Bruins won three straight Big Ten games, including the biggest shock of the season, a 42-37 upset of then-No. 7 Penn State. Interim coach Tim Skipper and offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel guided a moribund offense to another strong performance at Michigan State (38-13) and a home win over Maryland before losing their final five games.
The Bruins have had modest success from 2021-23, with three straight winning seasons under Chip Kelly. But Kelly opted to leave in February 2024 to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, prompting athletic director Martin Jarmond to promote Foster. Over the past 10 seasons, UCLA has finished with seven losing campaigns.
UCLA owes Foster approximately $7.8 million under the terms of his contract, which ran through 2028.
— AthleticsChris Vannini, Scott Dochterman, Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo contributed reporting.
