Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAYMon, December 1, 2025 at 6:06 PM UTC·3 min readUCLA football has found its next coach.
The Bruins are expected to hire James Madison coach Bob Chesney to lead the Bruins, according to multiple reports.
According to ESPN, Chesney informed James Madison of his decision on Monday, Dec. 1. The outlet reported the Dukes coach will sign a five-year deal.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe agreement ends the longest coaching search in the country that last 10 weeks after UCLA fired Deshaun Foster on Sept. 14. Chesney was a candidate for several teams looking to fill vacancies after two seasons in charge of James Madison.
Since being hired by the Dukes after Curt Cignetti left for Indiana, Chesney is 20-5 in this two seasons, including an 11-1 record this season that has James Madison in the Sun Belt championship game and in contention for the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff. The Dukes are No. 19 in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll.
James Madison football coach Bob Chesney stands on the sideline during his team's game against Washington State at Bridgeforth Stadium on Nov. 22, 2025 in Harrisonburg, Va.Chesney will reportedly sign with UCLA after the Sun Belt championship game on Friday, Dec. 5. UCLA will allow him to coach the Dukes in the College Football Playoff should they qualify.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJMU is one of the most complete teams in the country, averaging 37.9 points — good for 10th in FBS — while ranking in 10th in scoring defense at 16 points points per game.
Prior to his time at James Madison, Chesney was the coach at Holy Cross, where he won five conference championships and made the Championship Subdivision playoffs four times in six seasons with the Crusaders. He got his first head coaching job at Division III Salve Regina in 2010 and spent three seasons there and five seasons at Division II Assumption.
Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its next head coach. Franklin was fired earlier this season at Penn State. He replaces Brent Pry, who was fired midseason by the Hokies.
Oklahoma State hired Eric Morris from North Texas to be the Cowboys next head coach. Morris replaces longtime OSU coach Mike Gundy, who was fired earlier this season.
Colorado State hired Jim Mora Jr. as its new head coach. Mora led UConn to back-to-back nine-win seasons and replaces Jay Norvell, who was fired midseason.
Oregon State hired Alabama co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard as its head coach, replacing Trent Bray who was fired after an 0-7 start this season.1 / 4These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home
Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its next head coach. Franklin was fired earlier this season at Penn State. He replaces Brent Pry, who was fired midseason by the Hokies.1 / 4These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home
Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its next head coach. Franklin was fired earlier this season at Penn State. He replaces Brent Pry, who was fired midseason by the Hokies.2 / 4These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home
Oklahoma State hired Eric Morris from North Texas to be the Cowboys next head coach. Morris replaces longtime OSU coach Mike Gundy, who was fired earlier this season.3 / 4These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home
Colorado State hired Jim Mora Jr. as its new head coach. Mora led UConn to back-to-back nine-win seasons and replaces Jay Norvell, who was fired midseason.4 / 4These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home
Oregon State hired Alabama co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard as its head coach, replacing Trent Bray who was fired after an 0-7 start this season.Chesney will be the 20th coach in UCLA’s history, and he joins as a critical point with the program desperately looks for a revival after several difficult seasons.
The Bruins have missed a bowl game in the past two years after transitioning to the Big Ten. The conference change came on the heels after a rather sour end to the Chip Kelly tenure, which ended when he left the program in February 2024.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe team fired Foster after an 0-3 start to his second season. Tim Skipper served as the interim coach for the final nine games as the Bruins finished 3-9.
Since 2018, UCLA has only had three winning seasons, and it hasn’t won 10 games since 2014. The Bruins also haven’t won a conference title in the 21st century.
UCLA has also seen declining attendance in the Rose Bowl, averaging just over 37,000 fans at home in 2025, one of the lowest in program history. The Rose Bowl has since been covered with tarps to block off empty sections, and visiting fans have frequently taken over the stadium.
The attendance problems come as UCLA has shown interest in leaving the Rose Bowl for SoFi Stadium, which has led the stadium operators and the city of Pasadena to sue the university for allegedly trying to break its lease. UCLA has denied no move has been made official, and there’s uncertainty where the Bruins will play their home games in 2026.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA hiring Bob Chesney from James Madison as next football coach
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