Anonymous Big Ten coach reveals how Bob Chesney has been 'arrogant' at UCLA

The UCLA football program was in desperate need of a boost when it hired James Madison head coach Bob Chesney this offseason.

In their previous two seasons under former head coach Deshaun Foster and interim head coach Tim Skipper (final nine games of 2025 season), the Bruins posted a lowly 8-16 record and failed to make the postseason. Dating back to 2000, UCLA has posted just three 10-win seasons. Its highest finish in an end-of-season AP Poll was No. 10 back in 2014.

By bringing in Chesney, UCLA is adding much-needed College Football Playoff pedigree to its football program. Chesney led James Madison to a CFP berth last season, becoming one of two GO5 teams to crash the Playoff party (Tulane). He succeeded in a massive way at James Madison in his short time there, leading the Dukes to a 21-6 record over the past two years.

Chesney is seeking to become the next former James Madison coach to excel at their new program, joining Curt Cignetti (Indiana). UCLA has not quite been nationally relevant in college football in this decade, but the hire of Chesney could change this narrative.

Anonymous Big Ten coach makes bold claim about Bob Chesney

In just a short time, however, it appears as if Chesney has rubbed a few people the wrong way. In an anonymous interview for Athlon Magazine, an opposing Big Ten head coach claimed that Chesney has been ‘arrogant’ since taking over at UCLA.

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“I’ve heard they’ve been kind of arrogant on the road with following the (Curt) Cignetti model,” the coach said. “Like, ‘Look who we are,’ instead of saying, ‘We’re gonna do this the right way.’ I’m interested to see how (new head coach Bob Chesney) does, though.

“If I was going to defend (QB Nico Iamaleava), I would do some things to stop him from running and make him throw the ball — particularly downfield. He’s a playmaker. But without his feet and without his ability to scramble, I’m not sure he can sit in the pocket and carve you up. It’ll be interesting to see what the NFL guys think of him. He’s a good player and can take a hit, but he just didn’t seem like he could kill you with his arm.

“I was blown away with what their NIL budget was a few years ago. It was unfathomably low. I don’t know if they’ve gotten that ramped up.” 

There’s no doubt that Chesney and UCLA has succeeded on the road so far, as they currently boast the No. 12 ranked recruiting class in the Class of 2027. If arrogant is what it takes to succeed, it seems as if Chesney has been doing quite the job so far.