UCLA snagged its new soccer coach Saturday, formally saying the hiring of Bob Chesney slightly greater than 13 hours after the outgoing James Madison coach guided his workforce to the Solar Belt Convention championship.
Now comes the matter of who Chesney would possibly carry with him after he’s launched on campus Tuesday.
It’s most likely protected to imagine that Chesney will retain no less than an honest chunk of his present workers as a part of a cross-country transfer from Harrisonburg, Va.
Eight of Chesney’s assistant coaches at James Madison have spent a number of years working with him, a few of the connections going again to Chesney’s days at Salve Regina in Division III.
Dukes offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler might provide the Bruins one thing Chesney doesn’t possess — expertise on the Energy 4 convention degree. Kennedy as soon as labored within the Southeastern Convention, serving as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State and a graduate assistant, offensive high quality management coach and assistant quarterbacks coach at Florida.
Hitschler was co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Alabama in 2024 earlier than reconnecting with Chesney previous to the 2025 season. Each Kennedy and Hitschler have been wildly profitable with the Dukes, their models rating within the prime 10 within the nation in scoring offense and protection, respectively.
UCLA’s season opener in opposition to California on Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley will characterize Chesney’s first recreation as a head coach or an assistant on the Soccer Bowl Subdivision degree. He’s gained all over the place else after rising from Division III to Division II to the Soccer Championship Subdivision, compiling a 132-51 report alongside the way in which.
In two seasons at James Madison, Chesney went 21-5, together with a 12-1 report in 2025 that was made attainable partially by the workforce’s having posted six second-half shutouts. UCLA has agreed to permit Chesney to proceed teaching the Dukes for any School Soccer Playoff run ought to they be one of many 12 groups chosen Sunday.
Chesney, 48, turns into the primary sitting head coach employed by the Bruins since they lured Pepper Rodgers from Kansas in 1971. He’ll inherit a reputation, picture and likeness operation that’s transitioning to Champion of Westwood, a third-party media and branding company that additionally works with different groups on campus. In the meantime, Bruins for Life will turn out to be a third-party alumni group and mentorship program.
Any UCLA assistants hoping to stay round may need a shot primarily based on Chesney’s hiring historical past. When he arrived at James Madison earlier than the 2024 season, Chesney retained two incumbent members of the Dukes workers in offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski and cornerbacks coach Eddie Whitley Jr.
James Madison coach walks off the sector after a recreation in opposition to Washington State on Nov. 22.
(Brien Aho / Getty Pictures)
Chesney stated upon the completion of his workers in mid-January 2024 that he was searching for “competency, connection and chemistry” in his coaches.
Restocking his UCLA roster might be a considerably extra burdensome process. The Bruins managed zero first-, second- or third-team All-Huge Ten alternatives this season, exhibiting how a lot expertise is required to compete at a excessive degree. Gifted vast receiver Rico Flores Jr. is amongst a handful of Bruins who’ve entered the switch portal after the workforce completed 3-9 following its season-ending loss to USC.
Happily for Chesney, he might have quite a lot of acquainted faces desperate to speed up his rebuilding efforts after agreeing to a five-year contract to switch DeShaun Foster. James Madison totaled a school-record 20 All-Solar Belt Convention alternatives this season, together with the participant of the 12 months in redshirt junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III and the freshman of the 12 months in defensive lineman Sahir West.
One other first-team all-conference choice with remaining eligibility was redshirt junior working again Wayne Knight.
Chesney can even must prioritize preserving as a lot of UCLA’s prime gamers with remaining eligibility as attainable. Amongst those that might contribute to a speedy rise in 2026 are quarterback Nico Iamaleava; vast receiver Kwazi Gilmer; guard Eugene Brooks; defensive again Kanye Clark; linebackers Jalen Woods, JuJu Partitions and Scott Taylor; edge rusher Cole Cogshell; working again Karson Cox; defensive lineman Siale Taupaki; and kicker Mateen Bhaghani.
UCLA’s highschool recruiting class that has grown to 16 gamers thanks to some additions Chesney was beforehand recruiting at James Madison is generally stuffed with developmental gamers who might contribute after a season or two.
An important date to circle on the UCLA soccer calendar is Jan. 2. That’s when the switch portal opens. The Bruins and their new coach determine to be busy.
