Bob Chesney

Bio

Bob Chesney was hired as UCLA’s 20th head coach in the history of the football program on December 6, 2025. He brings with him to Los Angeles more than 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 16 seasons as a head coach.

Chesney comes to UCLA after two standout seasons at James Madison. In those two seasons, Chesney led JMU to a 21-5 record, the program’s first-ever Sun Belt Conference Championship in 2025, as well as their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoffs.

Chesney was awarded the 2025 Sun Belt Coach of the Year and was also named one of 24 semifinalists for the 2025 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award.

Chesney completed his 16th year as a collegiate head coach in 2024, having now led programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III. He’s won eight conference championships with a career record of 132-51 (.721).

In his first year at the helm of JMU, he guided the program to a 9-4 overall record and to its first bowl championship, winning the 2024 Boca Raton Bowl with a 27-17 triumph against Western Kentucky. He started the season with a 4-0 record, becoming the program’s first head coach to win their first four games in their inaugural year. Following the conclusion of the season, Chesney was voted Virginia Sports Information Directors University Division Coach of the Year.

JMU produced one of the nation’s top offenses and defense, ranking top 30 in both scoring categories. JMU ranked 21st in scoring defense (20.5) and 23rd in total defense (321.8) while ranking 26th in scoring offense (33.3).

The Dukes led the country in both turnover margin (1.54) and fewest interceptions thrown (4) while also ranking third in fewest turnovers (9), total takeaways (29) and pick-sixes (4). The four defensive scores overall also ranked fifth, while JMU was sixth in sacks (3.15) and fumble recoveries (12), seventh in both interceptions (17) and pass efficiency defense (111.48). JMU additionally ranked top 20 in the FBS in blocked kicks (3), third-down defense (32.3%), kickoff return average (24.67), tackles for loss (7.1) and blocked punts (1). JMU also led the Sun Belt in 15 separate categories and was second in 10 more.

He coached two players to All-America status in Terrence Spence and Eric O’Neill while 13 total players were selected to the 2024 All-Sun Belt Team. JMU’s season was highlighted early with a 70-50 win at North Carolina, which garnered the Dukes the National Team of the Week. It was the most points JMU has ever scored against an FBS opponent and set a Kenan Stadium record for points scored by an opponent in Chapel Hill.

Chesney joined James Madison after six seasons at Holy Cross (2018-23), guiding the Crusaders to unprecedented success with a program-record five consecutive Patriot League Championships since 2019 and an overall record of 44-21.

In 2022, he led Holy Cross to its third undefeated regular season and an FCS quarterfinal berth for the first time in nearly 40 years, finishing #6 in the final AFCA Coaches Poll. HC’s stretch run from 2021-23 were the team’s best three-year run since the 1989-91 seasons, going 29-8.

While at Holy Cross, Chesney recorded wins in back-to-back seasons against FBS opponents, defeating UConn, 38-28, in 2021 and Buffalo, 37-31, in 2022. During the 2023 campaign, the Crusaders dropped a pair of three-point contests to Boston College and Army West Point.

His 2023 squad featured a pair of Walter Payton Award finalists in quarterback Matthew Sluka and receiver Jalen Coker and a Buck Buchanan Award finalist in Jacob Dobbs. Dobbs additionally was a finalist for the prestigious Campbell Trophy, while Sluka was voted Patriot League Player of the Year.

Chesney is a three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year (2019, 2021, 2022) and twice was named the New England Football Writers Coach of the Year (2021, 2022). He was additionally honored as the AFCA FCS Region 1 Coach of the Year following Holy Cross’ historic 2022 season.

Prior to Holy Cross, he was head coach at Division II Assumption College, going 44-16 from 2013-17. A two-time Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, he led the Greyhounds to five straight winning seasons for a program that had posted just two winning records in the 17 years prior to his arrival. Chesney took Assumption to the NCAA Division II playoffs in each of his final three seasons, reaching the quarterfinal in 2017.

He began his head coaching career at Division III Salve Regina, posting a 23-9 record in three seasons at the helm from 2010-12. Chesney rebuilt a Salve Regina program with three consecutive winning seasons after it had gone through eight straight losing seasons. In 2011, he guided Salve Regina to the ECAC North-West Bowl, and in his final season in 2012, his team reached the New England Football Conference championship game.

Before becoming a head coach, Chesney had coaching stops as an assistant at Johns Hopkins (2005-09), King’s College (2003-04) Delaware Valley College (2002) and Norwich University (2000-01).

A native of Kulpmont, Pa., Chesney was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive back at Dickinson College, where he earned his degree in 2000. He was a Second Team All-Centennial Conference selection in 1998 and 1997 and was the 1997 recipient of the team’s Vincent Correal MVP Award.

Chesney and his wife Andrea have two daughters, Lyla and Hudson, and one son, Bo.