Bob Chesney Says UCLA Football Will Win Big Ten Championship

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Bob Chesney Says UCLA Football Will Win Big Ten Championship

UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Chesney is introduced during the basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial on Jan 31, 2026.

UCLA football head coach Bob Chesney spoke to fans during halftime of the UCLA men’s basketball game against Indiana on Saturday.

Chesney has quickly built a strong reputation and earned the trust of many people involved with UCLA, especially local high school football coaches. And after his speech during halftime on Saturday, UCLA fans should be excited for the upcoming football season, which will be the first with Chesney at the helm.

Before UCLA hired Chesney as head coach, he led James Madison to its first College Football Playoffs berth and won the Sun Belt Football Championship last season.

Now in his first season with the Bruins, Chesney told fans on Saturday that he believes UCLA is about win the Big Ten championship.

“I’ve been here about a month, and I look around, and there is nothing average that I see about UCLA,” Chesney said, per Michael Niziolek of The Herald-Times. “I did not come here to be average. You did not come here [to be average]. I want you to support this thing, understand what we’re building, and understand that we’re about to win a Big Ten championship. This is the team of the future. That future is now. Go Bruins!”

UCLA’s new football coach Bob Chesney introduced to crowd, said he’s been on campus for a month and there’s nothing average about school, “understand we’re about to win a Big Ten championship” pic.twitter.com/rMR0nrTHkY

— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) January 31, 2026

Bob Chesney is introduced as UCLA Bruins football coach at press conference at Renee Luskin Conference Center Centennial Ballroom on Dec 9, 2025.
UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Chesney is introduced during the basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial on Jan 31, 2026.
Bob Chesney is introduced as UCLA Bruins football coach at press conference at Renee Luskin Conference Center Centennial Ballroom on Dec 9, 2025.

Chesney Called UCLA Coaching Staff “Best Staff in the World”

In addition to Chesney’s leadership, a big part of what made James Madison so successful last season was the Dukes’ coaching staff. After UCLA hired Chesney as head coach, he brought over seven different coordinators and assistant coaches from James Madison.

He hired offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler from James Madison.

Chesney also hired offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Smith, defensive backs coach Eddie Whitley Jr., safeties coach Anthony DiMichele, defensive ends coach Sam Daniels and special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Canan. All five assistant coaches also coached the Dukes in 2025.

During his speech on Saturday, Chesney called the staff “the best staff in the world”.

UCLA’s revamped coaching staff could be the key to helping the Bruins become a dominant football program and ultimately win a national championship in the future.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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