UCLA Football Preview 2026: Can Bob Chesney Pull Off the Next Great Turnaround?

UCLA Football Preview 2026 spotlights whether new head coach Bob Chesney can engineer a turnaround comparable to Curt Cignetti’s rapid rise. Cignetti transformed James Madison into a College Football Playoff contender, then built power at Indiana with a strong roster pipeline. UCLA, which posted nine losing seasons in the last 16 years and is coming off one of its worst campaigns, is now banking on a similar blueprint by hiring Chesney. Chesney has won at stops including Salve Regina, Assumption, and Holy Cross, and in 16 seasons has had only one losing year, a 5–6 mark in his first Holy Cross season. The preview notes UCLA ranked poorly offensively, scored 218 points (fewest since 2008), and now brings offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, plus running back Wayne Knight and key James Madison players.