UCLA Hiring College Football Playoff Head Coach: Report

The UCLA Bruins are hiring James Madison head coach Bob Chesney to be their next football coach, according to various reports.

Chesney has been at the forefront of the Bruins’ coaching search for some time now, though on Monday, the news of the hire finally came to light, and UCLA has its man for the next era of football.

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The Dukes’ head coach has led the team to an 11-1 record this season, and they are set to play Troy in the Sun Belt championship game on Saturday with a chance to make the College Football Playoffs if specific results go their way.

According to The Athletic, Chesney will remain the head coach of JMU throughout the postseason, including the championship game and potentially a playoff run.

Chesney took over James Madison after Curt Cignetti left for the Indiana Hoosiers back in 2023. Cignetti has gone on to greater things, elevating Indiana to new heights — a potential Big Ten title and National Title — something UCLA hopes Chesney can replicate.

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UCLA fired DeShaun Foster in the middle of the season after starting 0-4. He was in his second season, though the results were poor enough to cut his time as a Bruin short.

The program’s interim head coach, Tim Skipper, has been a stabilizing force during the search, going 3-4 and delivering an excellent upset win against Penn State.

Now, they get the chance to start fresh and see what new ideas a new voice can bring.

The Bruins boast a series of advantages for any head coach, namely a strong pipeline of quarterback and offensive weapon talent. The program also has a good deal of money to spend on NIL deals.

The overall prestige of the Southern California school has dropped over the years, but it remains a hotspot for talent.

Ahead of Wednesday’s signing day, the Bruins’ recruiting class ranks 43rd nationally according to 247 Sports.

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