James Madison’s head coach, Bob Chesney, is set to join UCLA. Although the Dukes made an aggressive push to retain him, the Bruins got their guy to replace DeShaun Foster. Chesney is set to see a hefty increase in his annual compensation.

At JMU, Chesney was to receive $833,495 for the 2025 season, according to USA Sports. However, $140,000 of that amount consisted of a retention bonus. Since Chesney’s contract was set to expire in 2028, he will not receive this bonus. In addition to that, he owes $1.25 million in buyout to the program.

Moreover, according to Ross Dellenger, the Dukes had offered a contract that would have made Chesney the highest-paid coach in the Sun Belt Conference to retain his services. But the chance to lead a Big 10 program is too big a promotion to reject. The Bruins have reportedly offered him a $6-7 million deal over a 5-year period.

In December 2023, Chesney took over a program that had just completed their FBS transition. Moreover, after Curt Cignetti’s departure, 13 players entered the portal, following him to Bloomington. So, when Chesney arrived at JMU, the program was undergoing a delicate phase.

However, Chesney’s 14-year head coaching experience helped retain James Madison in its winning ways. Before his arrival, the Dukes had gone 19-4 over the last two seasons, leading the Sun Belt conference. Moreover, they had just come off the 2023 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, Duke’s first appearance in the program’s history.

Armed with coaching experiences in both FCS and FBS divisions, Chesney had seven conference championship titles on his resume and an impressive 111-46 record. During his time with the Dukes, he backed up his promises with real results on the field. His first season resulted in a 9-4 record, accompanied by a Bowl win in the Boca Raton Bowl. The 2025 season saw another significant improvement, with just one loss against the Louisville Cardinals so far.

With a celebrated Sun Conference championship game at stake, Bob Chesney’s UCLA deal comes at a crossroads. On the one hand, he has the shot to win the Sun Belt conference title at James Madison. On the other hand, he has the opportunity to enter the Power Five grid.

Will Bob Chesney coach in the conference title matchup?

The Bruins certainly do not want to let go of Chesney. According to reports, the Bruins have agreed for him to play calls during the conference title game against Troy. Furthermore, he is likely to stick by JMU if they make it to the postseason.

Considering Chesney’s coaching acumen, their interest in the JMU head coach is understandable. The Bruins are coming off a disastrous season that saw their head coach fired after an initial 0-3 record. The Bruins had pinned their hopes on transfer QB Nico Iamaleava. But it failed to revive.

However, with Chesney’s arrival, the Bruins look forward to a bright future. Analyst Greg McElroy weighed in on his candidacy, lauding his ability to “do more with less.”

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“This (Bob Chesney) is a very hire for me,” he said on the Always College Football podcast. “I’m going out and hiring Bob Chesney from James Madison. This is the guy that you absolutely have to find who can do more with less.”

As reported, he is set to sign the five-year contract with UCLA after JMU’s conference title game.