Rising college football coach named surprise pick for UCLA head coach job

As the Virginia Tech announced its new head coach and the Lane Kiffin Florida/LSU/Ole Miss circus continued, UCLA may be quietly closing in on an under-the-radar hire. Insiders including CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel have linked the Bruins to James Madison head coach Bob Chesney. Chesney had also been counted as a candidate for the Virginia Tech job, so James Franklin's hiring at Tech might help UCLA's pursuit.

Chesney's credentials

Chensey is perhaps the flavor of the week as the successor at JMU to Curt Cignetti, who has jump-started Indiana into a likely two-time CFP participant. Unlike Cignetti, Chesney's background is on defense. Like Cignetti, he has climbed the coaching ladder through major success at the Division II and Division III levels as well as FCS excellence.

Chesney is in his second year as a head coach at James Madison. The Dukes are 18-5 in his tenure and are 9-1 in the 2025 season. Chesney's defense is dominating the Sun Belt Conference and leads the league in scoring defense and yardage allowed by substantial margins.

UCLA's decline

UCLA has struggled in recent seasons. Chip Kelly led the Bruins to nine wins and a top-25 finish in 2022, but departed the school to be Ohio State's offensive coordinator. Jim Mora led the Bruins to back-to-back 10-win seasons and the school's last top 10 finish in 2014. But UCLA hasn't won a conference title since 1998 and seems to be falling behind in the Big Ten.

Other potential UCLA candidates

Since the firing of DeShaun Foster early in 2025, a variety of candidates have been linked with the UCLA job. After a brief offensive resurgence acting offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel may have been a candidate. Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, whose brother played at UCLA, has also been noted as a possibility. Likewise, Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White, who is a UCLA alum and coached at the school for a year, is another frequently named candidate.

Chesney would have an advantage in having served as a head coach before, unlike all of the above possibilities. Of course, given the number and variety of head coaching positions now open, the Bruins might have to outlast more potential suitors than just Virginia Tech to nab Chesney.