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UCLA’s Bob Chesney practicing what he preaches

April 7, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Bob Chesney, a coach from Central Pennsylvania who came to UCLA from James Madison University, has already captured the attention of many in Los Angeles. With no glitz and glamor. Simply by being himself.

He structures practices in an original image, instituting sporadic breaks known as “TV timeouts” to mimic the choppiness of a game. He bounces around positional drills trying to “add value” to each respective coach’s message.

On Tuesday at UCLA football’s third spring practice, Chesney inserted himself in a ball-protection drill, applying pressure to Bruins wide receiver Jackson Meehan as he slid on the ball. He watched keenly as kicker Mateen Bhaghani and the field-goal unit went through their operation.

His involvement isn’t a facade for the 200-plus recruits who have attended UCLA’s practice over the past week, nor the players on the current roster. It’s an authentic depiction of the Chesney experience.

“Kids can listen to coaches talk all they want, and we tell them who we are, but it’s what we do, right? Does what we do actually match who we say we are?” Chesney told the media after Tuesday’s practice. “It’s important for them to understand that it’s just a little bit different this time around in the way that we’re going to practice, the way we’re going to compete, the way we’re going to play, and hold each other accountable to a high standard.”

Part of Chesney’s philosophy is making every granular aspect of football a competition, from the weight room to the field, down to the way players’ lockers are kept.

That competition was present in Tuesday’s practice as UCLA’s first-team offense went against its first-team defense, sans pads.

In the first series, the defense forced quarterback Nico Iamaleava into two incompletions and a downfield scramble. On the first incompletion, cornerback Dante Lovett stuck with receiver Landon Ellis as he ran a go route, leaving no window for Iamaleava as his throw sailed long. The second incompletion wasn’t close to a receiver because the defense disrupted the timing of the route Iamaleava was targeting.

Defensive back Cole Martin chided Iamaleava after the mistake, bellowing, “That (expletive) ain’t going to be open, Nico.”

But later in practice, Iamaleavea and the offense got even. Iamaleavea connected with South Carolina transfer Brian Rowe Jr. on a deep crossing route from the slot, turning it into a touchdown. Michigan transfer Semaj Morgan also stepped in at slot receiver and hauled in a pass from Iamaleavea, and also caught a pass from quarterback Ty Dieffenbach while working with the second team.

Morgan and and defensive back Scooter Jackson earned praise for their efforts Tuesday. Chesney complimented Jackson, a rising senior who arrived via Utah Tech before the 2025 season, saying, “his technique, his fundamentals, his knowledge for the game, his physicality, there’s a lot that’s impressive.”

“Semaj is doing great,” Chesney said of the Michigan transfer.

Morgan concluded the practice, completing another one of Chesney’s specialties where the entire team distracts the returner from fielding a punt. Coaches sprayed water on Morgan, his teammates rushed him, and he hauled in the punt before the team engaged in a huddle.

“Anything that we feel is valuable, and can win you or lose you a game, which is just about everything, you know, you want to test it and fire,” Chesney said. “We’ve been doing that since 2016.”

At a new destination, Chesney’s not changing the methods that helped him rise the coaching ranks and land at UCLA.

Orange County Register

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UCLA’s Bob Chesney practicing what he preaches

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