UCLA got a good one in Bob Chesney.

[ATLBRUIN]

He has turned around every program where he’s been the head coach, from small programs like Salve-Regina, Assumption college, Holy Cross and then going 21-5 in his two years at James Madison, doing the unthinkable and taking them to the CFP! UCLA got themselves a winner.

[Butkus51]

Yep agree, good hire.  To add, UCLA must hire an aggressive GM dat is good recruiter.  A workaholic…  Cheers

[Java]

He didn’t turn around Dolly Madison. Cignetti built it.

So you are excited because a guy who never played or coached at D1 coached and did pretty well at Salve-Regina, Assumption college, Holy Cross, 2 of the 3 I have never even heard of.

Congrats.

[Daystalker]

You have been really zesty about Bob Chesney, Java.  Who hurt you?  Point to the spot on the doll.

• This reply was modified 22 hours, 24 minutes ago by Daystalker.

[Java]

Nothing, I just don’t get the excitement for him.  James Madison is a small school playing small football that will get smashed in Round 1 by whoever plays them.

 

And James Madison is the top rung of the ladder this guy has EVER coached.  Now he thinks he is moving to the west coast and coaching UCLA?    I guess he’s Curt Cignetti without the resume

[Daystalker]

I agree that he has not been tested at a high level, but he has been successful at every stop, so his coaching fundamentals seem to be very sound, which, if we are being honest, has not been the case at UCLA in many many years.  And, really hasn’t been the case on the other side of the tracks at USC. Mora was ok, but poon got in the way, as it always seems to do.  Let’s see how his team looks against Oregon.  They should be completely outclassed at every position, so it will be about the X’s and O’s in it’s purest form for them to have any success at all, even if just for a couple of series.  For the record I am predicting an Oregon blowout, BUT will be optimistic if I see some successes on both sides of the ball by Chesney’s crew and it isn’t just a total Oregon Donnybrook.

 

i think we are in agreement (gasp) that building a program with a solid foundation of four year players peppered in with mercenaries is the way to go, and I think Chesney is the man for the job to do that at UCLA since they are lacking the NIL to just buy everybody.  You need character, you need players that are there long enough to learn the damn fight song and are playing for their teammates and classmates, which is something not currently taking place.  It’s just football, time to start playing it again.

[LA Duck]

Good post, Daystalker.

Smart of UCLA to roll the dice a bit with Chesney rather than simply hire a known re-tread like, say, Dan Mullen from UNLV.  Not sure what they were thinking when they signed DeShaun Foster.  But, heck, could probably say the same about Oregon hiring Mark Helfrich.

And yes it will be telling to see how his team does against Oregon in the playoffs.  Assuming Oregon doesn’t completely implode, I don’t expect Lanning to run up the score (no point in a playoff game with no re-ranking), plus will likely want to get the starters out asap in anticipation of the next game vs Texas Tech.  So I expect some success for JMU especially in the final quarter or 2 of the game.  And if it comes prior to that, I think it will say really good things about what UCLA might be able to expect going forward.

Excited to see a potentially good head coach at UCLA!

[ATLBRUIN]

Java, you forgot to mention that Cignetti took JMU’s best players when he got hired at Indiana so you’re criticism of him is disingenuous. Also, OR has 10 times the talent of JMU, so OR should blow them out in Eugene. By making the playoffs, Chesney will be more of a known figure over the next two weeks.

[Daystalker]

Hey ATL, Do you think Chesney will let Riley smell his playoff finger when they meet pregame next season?

[Java]

Not at all.  JMU has more of a commitment to football that those on it’s schedule.  I don’t think they beat anyone that impresses and have not shown they are a top program on the D1 level.  Cignetti had an entire staff and took many with him yes.  But JMU had and has an entire program that was in place before Cignetti and he only bolstered it.

Cignetti took 13 players yes.

 

The only decent team on the schedule with D1 talent was Louisville, and JMU Lost.    The notable wins?  Weber State, Troy, Marshall, Liberty Georgia Southern Georgia State, Louisiana (not LSU), Old Dominion (yeah, the players with the girls BB team), Texas State, App State, Wash State and Coastal Carolina.  I mean if you think those teams prepare him for what he will see in the Big Ten, great.

 

Playing career
1996–1999
Dickinson
Position
Defensive back

 

Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2000–2001
Norwich (GA)
2002
Delaware Valley (DC)
2003–2004
King’s (PA) (ST)
2005–2006
Johns Hopkins (ST/DB)
2007–2008
Johns Hopkins (DC/ST/DB)
2009
Johns Hopkins (AHC/DC/DB)
2010–2012
Salve Regina
2013–2017
Assumption
2018–2023
Holy Cross
2024–2025
James Madison
2026–present
UCLA

 

[Daystalker]

Ok Java, so all these other coaches for the B1G or SEC, etc. were just shit out of the sky into their current positions?

[Java]

Ryan Day

Playing career
1998–2001
New Hampshire
Positions
Quarterback, linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2002
New Hampshire (TE)
2003–2004
Boston College (GA)
2005
Florida (GA)
2006
Temple (WR)
2007–2011
Boston College (WR)
2012
Temple (OC/WR)
2013–2014
Boston College (OC/QB)
2015
Philadelphia Eagles (QB)
2016
San Francisco 49ers (QB)
2017
Ohio State (co-OC/QB)
2018
Ohio State (OC/QB/acting HC)
2019–present
Ohio State

 

Lincoln Riley

Playing career
2002
Texas Tech
Position
Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2003–2005
Texas Tech (SA)
2006
Texas Tech (GA)
2007
Texas Tech (WR)
2008–2009
Texas Tech (IWR)
2010–2013
East Carolina (OC/QB)
2014
East Carolina (AHC/OC/QB)
2015–2016
Oklahoma (OC/QB)
2017–2021
Oklahoma
2022–present
USC

 

Shoot, let’s take the closest example.  He’s another Curt Cignetti right?  No he’s not

Playing career
1979–1982
West Virginia
Position
Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1983–1984
Pittsburgh (GA)
1985
Davidson (QB/WR)
1986–1988
Rice (QB)
1989–1992
Temple (QB)
1993–1999
Pittsburgh (QB/TE)
2000–2006
NC State (QB/TE/RC)
2007–2010
Alabama (WR/RC)
2011–2016
IUP
2017–2018
Elon
2019–2023
James Madison
2024–present
Indiana

 

Dan Lanning

Playing career
2004–2007
William Jewell
Position
Linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2008–2010
Park Hill South HS (MO) (ST/DB/WR)
2011
Pittsburgh (GA)
2012
Arizona State (GA)
2013
Arizona State (RC)
2014
Sam Houston State (DB/co-RC)
2015
Alabama (GA)
2016–2017
Memphis (ILB/RC)
2018
Georgia (OLB)
2019–2021
Georgia (DC/OLB)
2022–present
Oregon

 

And on it goes.  I could pick any B10 coach and they’d all have more major college experience as a player, assistant or head coach than this guy.

 

 

[SC Gator]

Strong argument but you left out an important factor that would make it stronger.

When I look at a coaching candidate I want to know his pedigree— not just where he played and coached before but also who he played and coached under and coached with.

If you look at Ryan Day you see he played at New Hampshire. For most of his time there his OC was Chip Kelly. Then he was a GA at Florida under Urban Meyer.  Then at Temple under Al Golden.  Another stint at Temple under Matt Ruhle.  Some time in the NFL for the Eagles and Niners, then back to work for Urban Meyer at tOSU.

So he was well trained before he had a head coaching gig.

We know Riley and Lanning both coached under solid coaches.

Who did Chesney play for?  Coach under?

 

 

[ATLBRUIN]

Lol! It’s been quite some time that I’ve been this excited for UCLA football!

[Daystalker]

A bunch of dudes that bounced around as GA’s and position coaches and then have about the same amount of HC experience between them.  So the position coache experience makes the man?  Is that what you are getting at?

[Java]

You do understand the benefit difference between coaching at Alabama, Ohio State, the NFL and coaching at Assumption College right?

[Daystalker]

From a name standpoint, sure.  But if you are talking  about from an X/O standpoint is there?  A spread is a spread, a stunt is a stunt and a well timed blitz gets your D off the field.  The players at Alabama are better, sure, but they play comparable competition, but the game is still the same.

[Java]

There is a reason schools value guys with NFL experience.

 

There is a reason the Georgia Southerns value a retread like Clay Helton.

 

The higher levels are NOT just X’s and O’s same wherever you go.  Not at all.  It’s much more complicated and you’re facing brilliant minds every week.

 

Was Chesney doing so with that schedule?  Not in my opinion.  Has he ever coached in the NFL or D1 even as an intern?  Nope.  We will see how he turns out.  I clearly am not sold or impressed.

[Author]

Posts