Dukes' coach Bob Chesney reportedly jumps to UCLA, becoming the latest G5 success story poached by a Power Four conference.
The James Madison Dukes have become a launch pad for coaches looking to take the next step, which can be looked at as a good or bad thing in today’s college football. But the success that former coach Curt Cignetti had with the program that he immediately translated into back-to-back 11-plus win seasons for the Indiana Hoosiers made it an attractive Group of Five destination for up-and-coming head coaches. Bob Chesney took that momentum into a 20-5 run that made him as coveted of a hire, and according to Pete Thamel of ESPN, the UCLA Bruins are set to poach him.
Chesney reportedly will sign a five-year deal with the Bruins that will be finalized following the 11-1 Dukes’ Sun Belt Championship game against the Troy Trojans. While they’re a long shot as an unranked team in the College Football Playoff rankings, it’s reported that should they make that push, that Chesney will remain with the team until that run ends. That seems to be the modus operandi that’s been established for all the Group of Five coaches taking Power Four jobs this cycle, with Tulane’s Jon Sumrall staying on through their run until assuming the role with the Florida Gators, and North Texas’ Eric Morris doing the same before heading to coach the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Chesney reportedly informed the team on Monday that he was planning to leave, as he quickly became a hot name this coaching cycle. It’s easy to see why after he continued to solidify the foundation by Cignetti and take the program to new heights with a 20-5 run over two seasons and a national relevance that saw many make arguments for them to have a shot in the CFP with a conference title win. He will replace former coach DeShaun Foster, who was fired in September after the Bruins started 0-3.
The candidates were reportedly pitched an opportunity that has financial investment and willingness to be monetarily competitive in the Big Ten while looking for a coach who could equally handle the academic standards of UCLA players. Per sources, Chesney was poised to hit on all those marks, especially with his stint as an assistant at John Hopkins.
For a program looking for stability, Chesney is a strong hire. Like most coach turnover, the departure of Cignetti saw several top players for James Madison go to the Hoosiers with him. Chesney recouped and reloaded the program to have a strong continued run at the FBS level after making the jump to the Sun Belt in 2022. He’s been a winner at every stop he’s been at. In fact, he’s reached the conference championship in every one of his stops, including an unprecedented five straight Patriot League championships as head coach of Holy Cross, his stop prior to the Dukes.
It's great for UCLA, and awful for James Madison, but unfortunately, that seems to be the state of things for successful Group of Five programs. It’s not a matter of if, but when, their coach will get poached for a bigger job. But the transition from Cignetti to Chesney shows the importance of continuing success when it’s on a roll, and how attractive of an opening this job will be for the next leader.