The UCLA Bruins have been conducting a coaching search since firing former coach DeShaun Foster in September. As the coaching carousel in college football spun, several names have been linked to the vacant Big Ten job.
The Bruins finished the season 3-9 under interim coach Tim Skipper.
UCLA Was a Mystery School Linked to Lane Kiffin
On Tuesday, college football insider Preston Guy revealed on X that the Bruins had an audacious plan to hire new LSU Tigers coach Lane Kiffin, who dominated the headlines before leaving Oxford for Baton Rouge on Sunday.
“Lane Kiffin mentioned he had 4 schools that approached. Most knew that Florida, LSU and Ole Miss were pushing for him. But the 4th? I’m told that was UCLA early on in the process. That makes sense as to why we didn’t hear much about the Bruins during the process given who they were bidding against,” Guy tweeted.
“Remember UCLA was one of the first teams to fire its coach on September 14 after a 0-3 start.”
MORE: Lane Kiffin Wasn’t the Only Coach to Spurn Florida Job, Gators’ AD Reveals
During his introductory news conference in Baton Rouge, Kiffin revealed that he had four programs vying for his signature.
“There were really four different places that we had to think about in this,” Kiffin said. “I just talked to them, and it really was apparent to I felt like everybody that I talked to outside of the state that I was in all basically said the same thing.”
Apart from the Tigers’ job, Kiffin was closely linked to the Florida job, and the Gators appointed Jon Sumrall as their coach just before he left Ole Miss for LSU.
UCLA Hiring Bob Chesney As Next H.C
On Monday, ESPN analyst Pete Thamel revealed that the Bruins were hiring James Madison Dukes coach Bob Chesney as their next head coach. Chesney has led the No. 19 Dukes to an 11-1 record and the Sun Belt Conference championship game against the Troy Trojans.
According to a source that spoke to ESPN, Chesney, who has a 20-5 record as JMU coach, also has a holistic approach to the Bruins’ job, which made him the ideal candidate.
“He had an appreciation for UCLA, the academics and the Big Ten,” the source said. “He also had a detailed plan on how to turn the program around.”
According to PFSN’s College Football Playoff Meter, James Madison has a 30.3% chance of clinching a berth in the College Football Playoff. The report indicated that Chesney will be allowed by the Bruins to coach in the showcase event should the Dukes make it.