Bob Chesney Gets a Harsh Assessment From an Anonymous Big Ten Coach

UCLA is in a new era of football, having hired young head coach Bob Chesney from James Madison.

The Bruins' last two years under Deshaun Foster did not go the way they had hoped, as the first year they finished with a 5-7 record. However, after three games into the next season, all of which were blown-out losses to inferior teams, Foster would be fired and have a 5-10 record as head coach.

Chesney is now tasked with rebuilding this program into a respected team not only in the Big Ten but also in all of college football. Chesney had just taken James Madison to the college football playoffs.

The hope is that in the next few seasons, he could bring the Bruins to their first playoff appearance in program history. While Chesney has yet to coach a game for the Bruins, Chesney has already started to make an impression on the Big Ten, and it doesn't seem to be a good one.

What the Anonymous Big Ten Coach Said About Bob Chesney

According to Athlon Sports, Bob Chesney has already started to rub coaches around the Big Ten the wrong way. An anonymous coach being interviewed described him as "arrogant" since taking over as the head coach. It seems as though Chesney has taken the curt Cignetti persona since becoming the head coach of UCLA.

“I’ve heard they’ve been kind of arrogant on the road with following the (Curt) Cignetti model,” the coach said. “Like, ‘Look who we are,’ instead of saying, ‘We’re gonna do this the right way.’ I’m interested to see how (new head coach Bob Chesney) does, though."

How Chesney Has Done at UCLA So Far

Since taking over as the Bruins' head coach, Chesney has made his mark on the recruiting trail, both in the high school and transfer portal.

Through this offseason, Bob Chesney has brought in the 11th-ranked transfer portal class for 2026. While he didn't have the same level of success with high school players as he did with the 65th-ranked class, the 2027 high school class is ranked 12th in the country by Rivals' team rankings.

Bob Chesneye — May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chesney has already established himself as a new voice for UCLA football as he is trying to rebuild this program. While he might have seemed a bit “arrogant” since becoming the head coach, his tactics have worked well in recruiting.

However, it won't matter as the most important thing in football is winning games. Curt Cignetti can act as arrogantly as he wants, as he won a national championship in his second season at Indiana. For coach Chesney, he has to be winning games to be in the good graces of the Big Ten coaches to be as arrogant as he has been described.

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