On December 6, UCLA officially unveiled Bob Chesney as the new head coach of the Bruins football program, tapping the former James Maddison coach to lead what administrators are calling a “bold new chapter.”

Chesney, a proven winner across multiple levels of college football, now faces his biggest challenge: restoring UCLA football’s national relevance after an uninspired 3-9 2025 season.

Chesney brings more than 25 years of collegiate coaching experience — a 132-51 career record, eight conference titles, and 13 All-Americans.

Yet what caught the Bruins’ eye was his recent success at JMU, where in 2025 he guided the Dukes to an 12-1 season, an undefeated 8-0 Sun Belt record, and a College Football Playoff berth — all while fielding an offense that ranked among the nation’s top 10. 

Much of the credit goes to offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, who, according to reports, will be following Chesney to Pasadena.

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In his second season with JMU in 2025, Kennedy helped engineer an offense averaging 37.8 points per game, with 245.8 rushing yards per contest — among the national leaders.

Under his watch, junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III threw for 2,533 yards and 21 touchdowns, while adding 544 rushing yards and 14 rushing scores.

Running back Wayne Knight produced 1,263 rushing yards and nine rushing TDs, while wideouts Landon Ellis and Nick DeGennaro each totaled over 400 receiving yards.

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But the speculation carries weight. For UCLA, acquiring Kennedy brings continuity, offensive identity, and a blueprint for execution in a program that has long struggled with consistency.

For college football at large, it represents another successful example of a Group-of-Five coaching staff making the leap to a Power Four program and retain cohesion.

All eyes now will be on whether the Bruins can rebult with Kennedy’s system that powered James Madison’s rise.