UCLA took a page out of Indiana's playbook, and it's working just the same

UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UCLA took a page out of Indiana's playbook, and it's working just the same

By Josh Bennett | Last updated Oct 27, 2026 6:04 PM ET

The hottest football ticket right now in Los Angeles is not the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers or even the USC Trojans. It’s about 30 minutes northeast in Pasadena with the No. 7 UCLA Bruins.

UCLA’s tenure in the Big Ten has been mediocre at best

UCLA is one of three undefeated teams remaining in FBS — No. 1 Miami and No. 6 Utah — and has run the table in the Big Ten so far.

The Bruins, who infamously along with the Trojans were the driving forces in joining the conference and leaving the Pac-12 for dead by triggering more reactionary conference moves, haven’t had a welcoming introduction. UCLA hired alum DeShaun Foster in February 2024 as its new head coach and proceeded to have a disastrous 5-10 tenure before being fired after three games last season, finishing 3-9.

When UCLA was failing, another Big Ten school was thriving

While UCLA was toiling at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, another school was rising from the ashes within the same conference. The Indiana Hoosiers hired former James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti to be their new head coach in November 2023. Cignetti was 52-9 at JMU, helped transition the school from FCS into FBS and instantly made it a Group of Six powerhouse in the Sun Belt.

Cignetti’s success in Harrisonburg, Virginia did not go unnoticed as not only did Indiana bring Cignetti in, 12 members of his 2023 JMU coaching staff and 13 players from that roster left for Bloomington with Cignetti. While UCLA was flopping in 2024 and 2025, Indiana went 27-2 in that time including a Big Ten and national championship. The No. 4 Hoosiers are currently 7-1.

James Madison spent those two years quickly retooling under a new head coach, hiring former Holy Cross HC Bob Chesney, who went 21-6 in his two years, including a Sun Belt title and a CFP berth.

UCLA decides to copy Indiana’s homework

On Dec. 1, UCLA hired Chesney to be its next head coach, and it followed Indiana’s lead in doing so. JMU’s offensive and defensive coordinators, along with 26 other staff members and 11 players made the move with Chesney to Los Angeles. The result so far?

college football programs can go from bad to good immediately by simply bringing over everyone from james madison pic.twitter.com/tGzAsNOeOl
— Jay Cuda (@JayCuda) October 27, 2026

Chesney’s turnaround is very Cignetti-like, and the comparison definitely exists. Both coaches even snagged the top transfer quarterback in their tenures as well: Cignetti got Fernando Mendoza before his second season, and Chesney brought in Nico Iamaleava, who is out for the season with a knee injury that required surgery.

Can UCLA actually replicate what Indiana is doing?

It remains to be seen if UCLA can remain unbeaten, win the Big Ten and make a run in the CFP — backup QB Ty Dieffenbach is doing just fine so far. UCLA hosts Nevada on Saturday before closing with four more Big Ten games.

It would be fitting if UCLA and Indiana were to end up in the Big Ten championship, but it wouldn’t be a failure if Chesney’s club misses out this year. It did take Cignetti two tries for his success after all. A CFP berth in the first season is within reach for Chesney, just like it was for Cignetti.

Now if only the Bruins could solve their attendance issues. Sure, the Rose Bowl is 30 minutes away from campus and the building is over a century old, but UCLA is playing the best football in L.A. right now. Much like Cignetti has done in Indiana (14.59% attendance increase over the last five years), win the games and the crowd will come too.

Josh Bennett

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