LOS ANGELES — Months before coaching on the Rose Bowl sidelines, Bob Chesney’s support for UCLA’s athletics department was prominent, well-documented through comments, X posts and photos with legendary athletes and programs.
He took a photo with Jackie Joyner-Kersee, made an appearance at a UCLA gymnastics meet, and at water polo and baseball games, and reposted about the UCLA men’s volleyball team’s win over USC.
Like many, Chesney was a fan of an athletics department that has succeeded across the board, winning the second-most national titles of any school (127, behind Stanford’s 178). He was also the football coach, learning from his peers how to turn around the only program at UCLA failing to meet the school’s standard.
“We’re one good football team away from, arguably, being the most dominant athletic department in the country,” he’d say.
Fast-forward to Week 11 of Chesney’s first season, and UCLA football (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) earned the No. 4 spot in Tuesday’s second College Football Playoff rankings, in line for a first-round bye. The Bruins are the top-ranked and only unbeaten Big Ten team. Clearly, Chesney listened intently and applied the lessons from Westwood’s other leaders to improve the product on the football field.
“We’re trying to hold up our end of the bargain,” Chesney said at his weekly Monday press conference. “We know the caliber of sports that is played here. And what’s expected of this athletic department. And the championships that have been won here. And the championships that are expected to be won here. We understand all those things, and that really is what gave me faith in initially coming here.”
Wisdom from Cori Close
Back in April, as UCLA women’s basketball took the floor in Phoenix to face South Carolina in the 2026 women’s national championship, Chesney sat with athletic director Martin Jarmond, declaring before tip-off, “This thing is already over.”
He had cultivated a friendship with coach Cori Close, and watched her emphasize to her players the importance of “surrendering the outcome and enjoying being present in the process,” as she put it. He knew they were ready for that moment.
“I looked at both sides and I looked at this poise, and this joy, and the smiles on these girls’ faces going into this giant test, against a team that was obviously a really, really good basketball team,” Chesney said.
After they won the national title, Chesney congratulated Close and the Bruins, then returned quickly to UCLA football’s spring practices, sharing the discoveries with his players. But two weeks later, Chesney followed closely as all of the six seniors from UCLA women’s basketball were selected within the first 18 picks of the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Close’s teachings remain present in Chesney’s approach as he takes the season, “one week at a time.” Chesney, too, has returned the favor, offering Close ideas about “the power of the pack.”
“It’s how connected they are. It’s how purposeful they are. It’s how disciplined they are. That’s their calling card,” Close said of UCLA football last Thursday. “(Chesney’s) become a really good friend and I really believe in what he’s doing.”
Chesney also leans on men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin. He often eats lunch with water polo coach Adam Wright. He’s brought alums, such as tight end Mercedes Lewis, to speak to the football team.
Intentional connections
Interconnectedness throughout UCLA’s athletics programs has grown stronger with Chesney’s influence. Intentional as can be.
“Those are high-caliber, top of the food chain coaches in their sport. That to me is really important,” Chesney said. “That’s culture that you can learn from, people who can share experiences that they’ve had and the successes that they’ve had. It’s impressive that our athletic department has that many high-caliber teams, with that many high-caliber coaches.”
While rooting for, and learning from, other UCLA teams, when he arrived in Westwood, Chesney built his own roster. From his time winning in Division III, Division II, FCS, and at James Madison, he had a notion of what traits in student-athletes could translate to success. He also drew from UCLA to understand what would be successful at his new home.
“I thought we did a really good job of assembling this group,” Chesney said. “We have the right type of people on this team. … I know we will give everything we got, and that’s probably the most important thing.”
“That’s ultimately why I think we find ourselves here today as the beneficiaries of that,” he added. “It was not by accident.”
UCLA added 63 new players, including 43 transfers, 11 of whom came from JMU. Through daily competition, Chesney taught them to play for one another, and to flourish in high-pressure moments. Then when quarterback Nico Iamaleava sustained a season-ending injury, the Bruins didn’t waver. They rallied behind Ty Dieffenbach and maintained their undefeated mark. Now heading into Week 11 against Illinois, UCLA can match its single-season wins record (10), with two more games remaining to surpass it.
A proud tradition
Away from football, UCLA athletics have upheld the prosperity that originally attracted Chesney. UCLA men’s basketball was ranked No. 9 in the latest AP Poll after defeating Arizona in its season-opener at the Hall of Fame Classic in Las Vegas. UCLA women’s basketball reshaped its roster after losing those six seniors. It added five players from the NCAA transfer portal, including KK Bransford from Notre Dame and Donovyn Hunter from TCU. Despite losing expected starter Lena Bilic for the season with a torn ACL, the women’s basketball has persevered and ranks 10th nationally.
It’s the first time since January 1999 that the UCLA football and men’s and women’s basketball teams were all ranked in the top 10 at the same time.
With new leadership in athletics director Tim Harris, and continued success across the board, UCLA athletics is thriving off interconnectedness.
The football team’s resurgence, under Chesney, has garnered national attention because it’s in the most prominent college sport. But Chesney acts as a spokesperson, explaining that this is a collective effort for shared achievements.
“My faith in the power of what UCLA and UCLA athletics came from watching those other teams, seeing the success those other teams had.”
Reporter Ethan Hanson contributed to this story.