Bob Chesney UCLA's first football recruits will be familiar to anyone who follows James Madison.
After hiring Offensive Coordinator Dean Kennedy and Defensive Coordinator Colin HitschlerThe new Bruins coach will also bring with him five more assistants who helped the Dukes reach the College Football Playoff: offensive line coach and running game coordinator Chris Smith, safeties coach Eddie Whitley Jr., defensive backs coach Anthony DiMichele, defensive line coach Sam Daniels and special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Kanan. While most assistants will retain their titles, DiMichele will now coach defensemen and Daniels will coach defensemen for the Bruins.
Chesney saves two UCLA assistant safeties coach Gabe Lynn and running backs coach AJ Steward, and Lynn moved into the role of nickel backs coach. He also brought in another assistant with Big Ten experience, Legi Suiaunoa, a former Michigan State defensive line coach, who will serve in the same role with the Bruins.
Vic So'oto will become the Bruins' linebackers coach after spending the last four seasons in California in a variety of roles. A former NFL linebacker who spent two seasons as USC's defensive line coach, So'oto took the 2022 job as Cal's outside linebackers coach. The following season, he added the role of special teams coordinator to his title, and last season he became the Golden Bears' co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach.
Chesney's staff includes wide receivers coach Colin Lockett, who spent last season in the same role at New Mexico. Lockett has extensive experience on the West Coast, having spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Oregon, as well as being a defensive quality control coach at Washington and a graduate assistant at San Diego State. Lockett is also familiar with the Southern California high school recruiting landscape, having spent three seasons as the defensive backs coach at St. John Bosco.
Steward also brings deep ties to the West, having previously worked at Baylor, Oregon State, Arizona State, Brigham Young and Rice. Suiaunoa and Steward worked at Oregon State for two of Suiaunoa's six seasons as an assistant with the Beavers.
In another nod to continuity, Chesney hires Chris Groutsky, his director of athletic performance at James Madison, to be the head strength coach at UCLA.
Chesney is expected to add to his staff soon.
Most of Chesney's employees have a strong bond with their boss.
Kanan has been a part of Chesney's staff for over a decade, starting at Assumption College in 2014 and then following Chesney to Holy Cross, James Madison and now UCLA. Smith spent five seasons working under Chesney at Holy Crest before leaving to become an assistant offensive line coach with the NFL's New York Giants in 2023 before returning to Chesney at James Madison in 2024.
Whitley had the distinction of working with both Chesney and his predecessor Curt Cignetti during Whitley's six seasons at James Madison, making him the Dukes' longest-tenured coach through the 2025 season.
DiMichele has worked alongside Chesney the past four seasons after joining his staff at Holy Cross in 2022 and then following him to James Madison. Daniels was new to Chesney's staff when he was hired ahead of the 2024 season at James Madison, his alma mater.
