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The Pressure Facing Bob Chesney in First Season at UCLA

The new Bruins' head football coach needs to set the program on the right path.
Travis Tyler|
Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Chesney is introduced during the basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Chesney is introduced during the basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA made an exciting hire for its football program when it chose Bob Chesney as its next head coach in December. He's a young, up-and-coming coach who's already had plenty of success, leading James Madison to the College Football Playoff against all odds.

Yet it's that very success that has all eyes on him as the pressure to replicate it in Los Angeles mounts, and he overhauls the roster to build a competitive team in the Big Ten.

UCLA's Results in the Big Ten

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Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) carries the ball against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Since joining the Big Ten two years ago, UCLA has struggled to compete on the field. Its first public moment came when the head coach, DeShaun Foster, froze during his first speech at Big Ten Media Day, leading to its first losing season since 2020. Overall, the program has a miserable 8-16 record in the conference, including 6-12 in conference play.

That's all on the heels of three straight seasons with eight or more wins as the Bruins left the PAC-12, and this fanbase will be hungry to get back to that point. It's also where Chesney's first challenge begins, and a great deal of pressure lies. How can he get the Bruins to compete in the conference this season?

Portal Pressure

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Dec 9, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Bob Chesney is introduced as UCLA Bruins football coach at press conference at Renee Luskin Conference Center Centennial Ballroom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chesney's answer to that question seems to be the transfer portal, where UCLA snagged 42 new players. That's almost half the roster, which means they'll be relied on heavily as the season gets started and hopefully progresses toward better results. It's an approach that has worked for many, including his JMU predecessor, Curt Cignetti, as he left for Indiana and turned the Hoosiers into a national champion in just two years.

Cignetti's success with that approach will also raise expectations for Chesney. With the current state of college sports, NIL, and the transfer portal, rapid turnarounds have become much easier to engineer, but that also means every team expects the new coach to find success immediately, and when they don't, the fanbase overreacts.

UCLA will be no different, but there needs to be some sort of patience. I know that's a word most college football fans don't want to hear, but the Bruins are still re-establishing the identity of their football program. From the looks of it, it appears they've hired a great leader, but no one really knows how long it will take to turn the team around.

His Own Expectations

Chesney has put some additional pressure on himself with the confidence he has exuded in the situation. Yes, it's a good thing to establish expectations and build excitement about your program, but he's put some things out there that, while motivating, might not be achievable in Year 1.

And the fact that he's said those things publicly, most notably pushing for a Big Ten championship at halftime of a UCLA basketball game, means many fans will expect instant success, regardless of whether he meant it would happen in his first season or once he builds the program up.

Chesney is not one who succumbs easily to pressure. In fact, he seems to welcome it. But with its first two Big Ten football seasons lost, the fans' hunger for a competitive football team, and the success he and others have had leading programs, the expectations may become dangerously high.

ucla footbal
Nov 22, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Andre Jordan Jr. (2) defends a pass intended for Washington Huskies wide receiver Omari Evans (5) during the second half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It's important he realizes that and keeps internal expectations positive throughout the season, no matter what happens on the field, because the pressure will be there until he succeeds, including Year 1.

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Travis Tyler
TRAVIS TYLER

Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.