NCAAF

UCLA to hire Bob Chesney as head coach

College football’s head coaching carousel is up and running, and no program wants to be left without one of its top choices. With this move, UCLA is ensuring it avoids that fate. Chesney isn’t a slam-dunk hire, but he’s won everywhere and appears ready for the challenge awaiting him in the Big Ten.

Rebuilding the Bruins won’t be easy, but the program’s outlook is a bit more bullish than it was several months ago, when DeShaun Foster was fired. Regardless, UCLA is a bottom-tier Big Ten team until further notice. In today’s college football, however, fortunes turn quickly. If Chesney successfully navigates the transfer portal this winter, UCLA can go bowling in 2026.

Meanwhile, the 48-year-old is departing a stable James Madison program. If Duke defeats Virginia on Saturday night, the Dukes — with a Sun Belt championship — could make the CFP. Chesney, in Year 2 with James Madison, obviously deserves plenty of credit for that. All sides agree, too, as Chesney has been granted permission to coach James Madison in the playoff should the Dukes make it.

UCLA hasn’t been fully serious about football in ages, but this hire presents a sign of hope. Sure, Chesney hasn’t played or coached at a power-conference program, but experience isn’t always a prerequisite for success. Chesney has won big — something the Bruins haven’t done in recent memory.

Grade: B+