EUGENE, Ore. — UCLA fans have wondered if they landed the next Curt Cignetti.
Nope.
They secured the only Bob Chesney — and must act accordingly.
Nearly two years ago, after leading Indiana to an unprecedented 10-0 start in his first season at the school, Cignetti was rewarded with a massive contract extension.
UCLA shouldn’t wait that long to make the same move with Chesney.
Text the contract lawyer. Come up with the terms. Pay the man.
Chesney is worth every penny it’s going to take to keep him for years to come and cease speculation about him going this way or that — especially should the NFL come calling for a coach some have labeled the next Sean McVay.
Nope.
He’s the only Bob Chesney — and needs to be treated with the appropriate reverence.
What’s Chesney done to deserve an extension after only five games? Have you been watching?
This goes well beyond becoming the first coach in UCLA history to start 5-0 while putting the Bruins firmly in the running for the College Football Playoff in Year 1. He’s infused belief, accountability and an insatiable desire for improvement into a program that’s long lacked those qualities.
UCLA has a swagger. It has an identity. It has an edge.
Lest you didn’t see the Bruins prancing on the field before the fourth quarter Saturday at Autzen Stadium while the spiritless Oregon Ducks looked like they were headed for a wake.
It turned out they were — their own.
After guiding UCLA to a 17-15 triumph that represented its first win over the Ducks in Eugene since 2004 — and its first win over a ranked Oregon team on its home field ever — Chesney indicated that he’s not satisfied with his own unprecedented start.
His message to his players?
“It’s going to be it doesn’t matter, now we’ve got to get better,” Chesney said. “And how do we get better? We go back and we look back at the things we’ve got to fix.”
Sure, these Bruins have issues. Big ones.
Nico Iamaleava has not resembled anything close to a top-tier quarterback. There’s way too many penalties. And for the first time all season, UCLA was outscored in the fourth quarter.
But did you see how Chesney masterfully navigated each of those challenges?
When Iamaleava went down with a leg injury in the second quarter Saturday, Chesney turned to Ty Dieffenbach — a former third-stringer who threw the decisive touchdown pass against the Ducks.
When the Bruins kept committing one dreadful penalty after another in the fourth quarter, Chesney and his staff kept them from crumbling. The defense made the stops needed to notch UCLA’s most momentous triumph of this century.
Who’s going to stop this team from reaching the CFP?
UCLA’s schedule sets up favorably, with the next three games at home starting next weekend against Wisconsin. The biggest remaining challenges are on the road against Minnesota and Michigan, followed by the regular-season finale at home against rival USC.
Here’s the thing: UCLA can probably drop two of those games and still make the CFP. The Bruins are already in a much better position than the Trojans, who face a significantly tougher schedule with the added burden of having lost at home to Oregon.
UCLA’s remaining opponents should also realize that the version of this team they face later in the season might be significantly better than the one they’ve seen so far.
Chesney’s drive to lead the nation in development, as he likes to say, means that his team holds Sunday scrimmages for players who need additional reps. It’s the kind of thing that prepared Dieffenbach for his big moment on Saturday.
What are the limits for UCLA under Chesney in 2026?
Said linebacker Sammy Omosigho: “None.”
Said running back Wayne Knight: “The sky.”
The Bruins have seen enough to know they have the man they need leading this program for the foreseeable future.
Now it’s up to UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk and his latest bold hire, CEO and athletic director Tim Harris, to keep Chesney happy. His five-year, $33.75 million contract, which pays an average annual salary of $6.75 million, must be replaced with more years and significantly more money.
After Indiana gave Cignetti an eight-year extension in November 2024, he went on to reward the Hoosiers with their first national championship the following season. Indiana is off to another undefeated start in 2026 and possibly headed toward a third consecutive appearance in the CFP.
Could Chesney conjure similar magic in Westwood? Is anybody really going to bet against him at this point?
Text the contract lawyer. Come up with the terms. Pay the man.
