Chesney Shares How Transition to UCLA Has Gone

He previously was the head coach at James Madison, where he helped the Dukes ease into their transition to FBS. JMU went 21-6 over Chesney’s tenure with the team, and in 2025, the Dukes reached heights they probably didn’t think were possible when they first began their FBS transition.

Chesney in 2025

In 2025, JMU went 12-2, cruising to the Sun Belt title and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time in its program’s history. They would go on to lose to Oregon in the first round, but the season was considered a major stepping stone for James Madison. 

As a reward for Chesney’s efforts as the head coach at JMU, he was offered the job at UCLA. The Bruins have struggled mightily since joining the Big Ten, posting a combined 8-16 record over their two seasons, and are in desperate need of a turnaround. 

With Chesney now leading the way, the general sense is that turnaround can happen sooner rather than later. So far, the adjustment has been rather smooth for Chesney, as he explained in a recent Barstool Sports interview. 

Chesney’s Thoughts

“Well, there was a lot,” Chesney said. “Obviously, when all this news broke, we were in the middle of our championship game week in the Sun Belt, and we knew if we win that game, we have potential to make it to the playoffs."

"I didn't want that to come out just yet. I wanted to get through everything, but it happens how it happens. And l think that our guys did such a good job back there of just staying focused on the task at hand. And I just kept saying that's about next year that has nothing to do with what we're doing.”

“Then it was about building a staff right there at the start,” Chesney added. “Then you had to go from the staff to, then the portal opened pretty quickly after that. So you had your staff in place then the portal and then you just hit the ground running.”