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UCLA working toward contract extension for Bob Chesney, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Bob Chesney has had an immediate impact at UCLA. The Bruins, who rose to No. 4 in Tuesday’s updated College Football Playoff rankings, are 9-0 ahead of their Friday evening game against Illinois.
Chesney could be in for a big payday soon, though.
According to CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer, Richard Johnson, and Connor Morrissette, UCLA is “working to try” to reward Chesney with a new contract. Chesney, who was 21-6 in two seasons as Curt Cignetti’s successor at James Madison, was hired as the Bruins’ head coach on a five-year, $33.75 million deal.
The reversal of fortunes in Westwood has been dramatic under Bob Chesney. To put things in perspective, the Bruins won eight games in 2024 and 2025 combined. DeShaun Foster, the previous head coach, was fired three games into the 2025 season after going 5-10 overall.
Those days seem like distant memories. UCLA’s nine wins are the most since it went 9-4 under Chip Kelly in 2022. With a victory over the Illini on Friday, the Bruins will have their first 10-win season since back-to-back double-digit totals in 2013 and 2014 under Jim Mora. An 11-win season, which has never been done in UCLA history, looks to be on the horizon, too.
Most importantly, the Bruins could be on the cusp of a first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, something that seemed out of the question just months ago.