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How Close UCLA Is To Competing for Big Ten Championship

New UCLA head coach Bob Chesney provides a promising resume.
Alan Rubenstein|
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
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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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UCLA Bruins

New UCLA head coach Bob Chesney faces his toughest challenge leading a football program. UCLA has not won a conference championship since Bob Toledo led the Bruins to a perfect 8-0 record in conference play to win the 1998 PAC-10 title outright.

Since 1998, the closest UCLA has come to a conference championship was winning the 2012 PAC-12 South Division title before losing 27-24 at Stanford in the league title game. Since 2016, UCLA has finished with a winning conference record only twice. Chip Kelly led UCLA to six wins and three losses in 2021 and 2022.

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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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bob Chesney Has Owned His Conferences

In 16 seasons as a head coach at the Division III, II, Football Championship Subdivision, and Football Bowl Subdivision Group of Five levels, Chesney has never had a losing conference record. When James Madison finished with four wins and four losses in the Sun Belt during Chesney's first season in 2024, it was the first and only year he failed to lead his team to a winning conference record.

In three seasons at Division III Salve Regina, he compiled 18 wins and six losses in the New England Football Conference. Salve Regina had eight consecutive losing seasons before Chesney was hired. The Seahawks won the now-defunct Boyd Division of the NEFC in 2012, Chesney's final season.

Bob Chesney Moves Up to Division II

In four seasons at Division II Assumption, Chesney led the Greyhounds to 36 wins and nine losses in the Northeast-10 Conference. Assumption had eight wins and three losses in each of Chesney's final three seasons. The Greyhounds won NE-10 titles in his third and fifth seasons while earning NCAA Playoff berths in all three years.

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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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

FCS Holy Cross Hires Bob Chesney

Holy Cross won the Patriot League in each of its first four seasons with Chesney as head coach. In Chesney's final season, Holy Cross tied for the Patriot League title. In his six seasons as the head coach at Holy Cross, Chesney led the Crusaders to 44 wins and 21 losses overall and 28 victories and four losses in the Patriot League.

Bob Chesney Moves On to James Madison

Chesney succeeded National Championship-winning coach Curt Cignetti at James Madison. Chesney, in retrospect, succeeded a legend. James Madison won 21 games and lost six in two seasons under Chesney. The Dukes won 12 games and lost four in the Sun Belt under Chesney.

Chesney led James Madison to eight wins without a loss in the Sun Belt with 12 victories and two defeats in 2025 as the Dukes earned a College Football Playoff berth. Like Cignetti before him and in his previous jobs, Chesney used his success at James Madison to earn his first head coaching job in a Power Conference.

How Close Is UCLA?

Winning a conference title in his second or third season will be a far greater challenge for Chesney at UCLA. Ohio State, Michigan, and Indiana have won the last three College Football Playoff National Championships. Since 2002, Ohio State has won or shared 11 Big 10 Championships.

Chesney has significantly improved UCLA's recruiting. The 2027 UCLA class is ranked 17th nationally per Rivals, its best since 2018. The 2027 class will set the foundation for Chesney to build UCLA into a Big 10 Championship contender. The 2026 season will be about Chesney building UCLA's culture and implementing his systems on offense and defense.

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Alan Rubenstein
ALAN RUBENSTEIN

Alan Rubenstein has decades of experience covering the Big Four American sports and is currently a UCLA reporter with On SI. Over the last 10 years, his primary focus has been covering college sports. That includes two Final Fours and one College Football National Championship Game.