Outside Topic UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney

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UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - Maple Leaf - 12-01-2025

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6852560/2025/12/01/ucla-bob-chesney-head-coach-jmu/

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - jacket3ree - 12-01-2025

The carousel has been interesting this year for sure. Stanford was the first on and came up with the least interesting/imaginative hire.

Quite the contrast from Kiffin burning it all down on his way out. Hard to imagine a single person showing up at a fence near SJC to hurl obscenities as Shaw, Taylor, or Tavita fly off to somewhere else. Grades are ESPN's.

JMU: On the clock
Memphis: On the clock
USF: On the clock
Penn State: Still on the clock - look at all the fired coaches they can chose from
Kentucky: Warming up the on the clock (life comes at you fast)
UCLA: Chesney replaces Foster (B+)
Michigan State: Fitzgerald replaces Smith (Incomplete - yesterday's news I forgot)
Ole Miss: Golding elevated instantly (B)
LSU: Kiffin replaces Kelley (A-)
Florida: Sumrall replaces Napier (B+)
Arkansas: Silverfield replaces Pittman (B)
Auburn: Golesh replaces Freeze (B+)
Stanford: Pritchard replaces Taylor (C+ - God help us if this is on a Stanford curve)
Oklahoma State: Morris (40 year old man) replaces Gundy (A-)
Virginia Tech: Franklin replaces Pry (A)
Kent State: Kenni Burns replaces somebody. I wasn't aware Kent State played football. and Kenni with an i is not a woman, which would have been cool.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - JohnR34231 - 12-01-2025

Yeah, I can remember the Merc running an article criticizing us for hiring Harbaugh.
So you never know.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - PalmTree - 12-01-2025

(12-01-2025, 01:57 PM)jacket3ree Wrote: The carousel has been interesting this year for sure. Stanford was the first on and came up with the least interesting/imaginative hire.

Quite the contrast from Kiffin burning it all down on his way out. Hard to imagine a single person showing up at a fence near SJC to hurl obscenities as Shaw, Taylor, or Tavita fly off to somewhere else. Grades are ESPN's.

JMU: On the clock
Memphis: On the clock
USF: On the clock
Penn State: Still on the clock - look at all the fired coaches they can chose from
Kentucky: Warming up the on the clock (life comes at you fast)
UCLA: Chesney replaces Foster (B+)
Michigan State: Fitzgerald replaces Smith (Incomplete - yesterday's news I forgot)
Ole Miss: Golding elevated instantly (B)
LSU: Kiffin replaces Kelley (A-)
Florida: Sumrall replaces Napier (B+)
Arkansas: Silverfield replaces Pittman (B)
Auburn: Golesh replaces Freeze (B+)
Stanford: Pritchard replaces Taylor (C+ - God help us if this is on a Stanford curve)
Oklahoma State: Morris (40 year old man) replaces Gundy (A-)
Virginia Tech: Franklin replaces Pry (A)
Kent State: Kenni Burns replaces somebody. I wasn't aware Kent State played football. and Kenni with an i is not a woman, which would have been cool.

A potential downer about Franklin to VATech is that Troy Huhn, the 4 star QB recruit from Mission Hills who'd decommited from PSU after Franklin was dismissed - and who AL had offered shortly thereafter - is now rumoured to be signing with VATech. He's got a lot of other offers so his signing with us would be a long shot anyway, but hey, at least we tried, right?

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - 82lsju - 12-01-2025

(12-01-2025, 01:57 PM)jacket3ree Wrote: The carousel has been interesting this year for sure. Stanford was the first on and came up with the least interesting/imaginative hire.

Quite the contrast from Kiffin burning it all down on his way out. Hard to imagine a single person showing up at a fence near SJC to hurl obscenities as Shaw, Taylor, or Tavita fly off to somewhere else. Grades are ESPN's.

JMU: On the clock
Memphis: On the clock
USF: On the clock
Penn State: Still on the clock - look at all the fired coaches they can chose from
Kentucky: Warming up the on the clock (life comes at you fast)
UCLA: Chesney replaces Foster (B+)
Michigan State: Fitzgerald replaces Smith (Incomplete - yesterday's news I forgot)
Ole Miss: Golding elevated instantly (B)
LSU: Kiffin replaces Kelley (A-)
Florida: Sumrall replaces Napier (B+)
Arkansas: Silverfield replaces Pittman (B)
Auburn: Golesh replaces Freeze (B+)
Stanford: Pritchard replaces Taylor (C+ - God help us if this is on a Stanford curve)
Oklahoma State: Morris (40 year old man) replaces Gundy (A-)
Virginia Tech: Franklin replaces Pry (A)
Kent State: Kenni Burns replaces somebody. I wasn't aware Kent State played football. and Kenni with an i is not a woman, which would have been cool.

Cal: on the clock

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - cctop - 12-01-2025

It's also curious how little chatter there is online about Jim Mora to Colorado State.

Mora was making $2.7 million at UCONN. His CSU contract is $2.4 million rising to $2.8 million over 5 years, plus some small incentives. He moved for basically no change in money.

If we're to believe the folks on Reddit, Mora wanted the Stanford job but AL went with Tavita. Maybe it's my Cardinal-colored glasses but I can believe that is true because it seems like Stanford has more upside potential than Colorado State.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - jacket3ree - 12-01-2025

Can't believe I forgot CSU and Cal. Connecticut is nice enough, but it ain't no Fort Collins. No brainer to this westerner.

Cal seems hellbent on Tosh Lupoi. Good luck with that. They are now maybe/maybe not competing with Kentucky and some G5s. Bet they go the coordinator or position coach route. Maybe Davis Webb from the Broncos. He's their Tavita.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - 82lsju - 12-01-2025

(12-01-2025, 06:44 PM)jacket3ree Wrote: Can't believe I forgot CSU and Cal. Connecticut is nice enough, but it ain't no Fort Collins. No brainer to this westerner.

Cal seems hellbent on Tosh Lupoi. Good luck with that. They are now maybe/maybe not competing with Kentucky and some G5s. Bet they go the coordinator or position coach route. Maybe Davis Webb from the Broncos. He's their Tavita.

and CSU will be in the "Pac-X" for the 2026 season...

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - needle - 12-01-2025

(12-01-2025, 01:57 PM)jacket3ree Wrote: The carousel has been interesting this year for sure. Stanford was the first on and came up with the least interesting/imaginative hire.

Quite the contrast from Kiffin burning it all down on his way out. Hard to imagine a single person showing up at a fence near SJC to hurl obscenities as Shaw, Taylor, or Tavita fly off to somewhere else. Grades are ESPN's.

JMU: On the clock
Memphis: On the clock
USF: On the clock
Penn State: Still on the clock - look at all the fired coaches they can chose from
Kentucky: Warming up the on the clock (life comes at you fast)
UCLA: Chesney replaces Foster (B+)
Michigan State: Fitzgerald replaces Smith (Incomplete - yesterday's news I forgot)
Ole Miss: Golding elevated instantly (B)
LSU: Kiffin replaces Kelley (A-)
Florida: Sumrall replaces Napier (B+)
Arkansas: Silverfield replaces Pittman (B)
Auburn: Golesh replaces Freeze (B+)
Stanford: Pritchard replaces Taylor (C+ - God help us if this is on a Stanford curve)
Oklahoma State: Morris (40 year old man) replaces Gundy (A-)
Virginia Tech: Franklin replaces Pry (A)
Kent State: Kenni Burns replaces somebody. I wasn't aware Kent State played football. and Kenni with an i is not a woman, which would have been cool.

Someone doesn't know their Golden Flashes coaching scandals.

https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/investigation-finds-that-fired-kent-state-coach-took-over-100000-in-loans-from-booster-124209957.html

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - norcard10 - 12-01-2025

would have been thrilled with JMU coach leading Stanford but alas.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - 82lsju - 12-02-2025

(12-01-2025, 09:23 PM)needle Wrote:
(12-01-2025, 01:57 PM)jacket3ree Wrote: The carousel has been interesting this year for sure. Stanford was the first on and came up with the least interesting/imaginative hire.

Quite the contrast from Kiffin burning it all down on his way out. Hard to imagine a single person showing up at a fence near SJC to hurl obscenities as Shaw, Taylor, or Tavita fly off to somewhere else. Grades are ESPN's.

JMU: On the clock
Memphis: On the clock
USF: On the clock
Penn State: Still on the clock - look at all the fired coaches they can chose from
Kentucky: Warming up the on the clock (life comes at you fast)
UCLA: Chesney replaces Foster (B+)
Michigan State: Fitzgerald replaces Smith (Incomplete - yesterday's news I forgot)
Ole Miss: Golding elevated instantly (B)
LSU: Kiffin replaces Kelley (A-)
Florida: Sumrall replaces Napier (B+)
Arkansas: Silverfield replaces Pittman (B)
Auburn: Golesh replaces Freeze (B+)
Stanford: Pritchard replaces Taylor (C+ - God help us if this is on a Stanford curve)
Oklahoma State: Morris (40 year old man) replaces Gundy (A-)
Virginia Tech: Franklin replaces Pry (A)
Kent State: Kenni Burns replaces somebody. I wasn't aware Kent State played football. and Kenni with an i is not a woman, which would have been cool.

Someone doesn't know their Golden Flashes coaching scandals.

https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/investigation-finds-that-fired-kent-state-coach-took-over-100000-in-loans-from-booster-124209957.html

his on field performance was probably enough to get him fired....

Quote:The Golden Flashes went 1-23 in his two seasons with the team and did not beat an FBS opponent. The team’s only win came in 2023 over Central Connecticut State and the Golden Flashes currently have the longest active losing streak at the top level of college football.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - MV72018 - 12-02-2025

(12-01-2025, 10:02 PM)norcard10 Wrote: would have been thrilled with JMU coach leading Stanford but alas.

I strongly suspect that a genuine national search did not occur, as is required for new academic faculty appointments. I think I recall a reference to 30 candidates having been considered. If that is the case, how open, comprehensive, and serious was the consideration given to the files about other 29 candidates? Did 29 other people actually apply or put their names forward, or was it just a matter of 29 names being compiled and written down on Post-Its?

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - 82lsju - 12-02-2025

(12-02-2025, 10:18 AM)MV72018 Wrote:
(12-01-2025, 10:02 PM)norcard10 Wrote: would have been thrilled with JMU coach leading Stanford but alas.

I strongly suspect that a genuine national search did not occur, as is required for new academic faculty appointments. I think I recall a reference to 30 candidates having been considered. If that is the case, how open, comprehensive, and serious was the consideration given to the files about other 29 candidates? Did 29 other people actually apply or put their names forward, or was it just a matter of 29 names being compiled and written down on Post-Its?

the ESPN article has the claim about 30+ candidates. I have a hard time believing that 30+ candidates either reached out about the job, had Stanford reach out to them, and/or were interviewed

Quote:Pritchard emerged from a pool of more than 30 candidates in a process run by general manager Andrew Luck that included athletic director John Donahoe, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Stanford president Jonathan Levin. Stanford's pool included strong interest from college and the NFL.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - Vandelay - 12-02-2025

Quote:Pritchard emerged from a pool of more than 30 candidates in a process run by general manager Andrew Luck that included athletic director John Donahoe, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Stanford president Jonathan Levin. Stanford's pool included strong interest from college and the NFL.

Condoleezza Rice, of course, to lend an air of legitimacy to the process.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - jacket3ree - 12-02-2025

The national search to find Tavita Pritchard. Oh hey, he's in our nation's capital. National search.

Why is Condoleezza Rice involved at all?

Anyway, we certainly know who to blame or hopefully praise.

I'm not mad it wasn't a "big name". I don't know if Paul Wiggin was considered a "big name" when he was hired (he had been an NFL head coach for two not great years following Hank Stram), but of all Stanford's big name hires in my memory - Wiggin, Walsh redux, Harris - eventually flopped. Little name hires -- Elway, Teevens, Taylor -- flopped too. The success stories -- Green, Willingham, Harbaugh, Shaw -- weren't necessarily can't miss hires. Green was from the Walsh tree when Walsh was still a Niner god and really wanted to show what he could do to turn a culture around; Willingham was from the Walsh through Green tree and maybe a Tavita without the historic Shaw baggage; Harbaugh was a prescient AD making one of Stanford's best hires ever; and Shaw sort of fell into it and did great before he was terrible.

Pritchard and Luck need to have a heart to heart with Shaw off record and I hope Shaw is willing to do that. Beyond NIL and whatnot, what the hell happened?

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - Goose - 12-02-2025

(12-02-2025, 01:48 PM)jacket3ree Wrote: Pritchard and Luck need to have a heart to heart with Shaw off record and I hope Shaw is willing to do that. Beyond NIL and whatnot, what the hell happened?

I am virtually certain such conversations occurred between Shaw and Pritchard both while and after it "happened". After all, Pritchard was part of that process and undoubtedly was "affected" by what was happening, even if he had inadequate power to fix it. Whether time has brought more clarity I am unsure. I would bet AL has subsequently talked with Shaw several times about the problems of Stanford football near the end of Shaw's tenure.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - BostonCard - 12-02-2025

82lsju dateline='[url=tel:1764698907' Wrote: 1764698907[/url]']
the ESPN article has the claim about 30+ candidates. I have a hard time believing that 30+ candidates either reached out about the job, had Stanford reach out to them, and/or were interviewed

Why do you find that surprising? The position has been opened for a long time, so plenty of people may have approached Stanford about the job, particularly because most coaches will have agents reaching out on their behalf. I mean, wouldn’t you have your agent reach out if you were a college coordinator looking to jump to be a head coach, a college coach at the FCS or G5 level looking to go to an FBS school, or a recently laid off coach (of which there are plenty)?

If Matt Squeri can compile a list of 50 names to post on a message board, surely Andrew Luck and the AD can compile a list of candidates; from that they probably reached to to a dozen or so to test the waters. Surely a bunch said no, and the result was a manageable list of a handful of names that were seriously considered and hopefully interviewed.

To be honest, since “a pool of more than 30 candidates” is vague to the point of meaninglessness, I am surprised that it wasn’t substantially more than that. As mentioned, one poster assembled a “pool of 50 candidates” to post on a message board.

BC

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - norcard10 - 12-02-2025

(12-02-2025, 03:45 PM)BostonCard Wrote:
82lsju dateline='[url=tel:1764698907' Wrote: 1764698907[/url]']
the ESPN article has the claim about 30+ candidates. I have a hard time believing that 30+ candidates either reached out about the job, had Stanford reach out to them, and/or were interviewed

Why do you find that surprising? The position has been opened for a long time, so plenty of people may have approached Stanford about the job, particularly because most coaches will have agents reaching out on their behalf. I mean, wouldn’t you have your agent reach out if you were a college coordinator looking to jump to be a head coach, a college coach at the FCS or G5 level looking to go to an FBS school, or a recently laid off coach (of which there are plenty)?

If Matt Squeri can compile a list of 50 names to post on a message board, surely Andrew Luck and the AD can compile a list of candidates; from that they probably reached to to a dozen or so to test the waters. Surely a bunch said no, and the result was a manageable list of a handful of names that were seriously considered and hopefully interviewed.

To be honest, since “a pool of more than 30 candidates” is vague to the point of meaninglessness, I am surprised that it wasn’t substantially more than that. As mentioned, one poster assembled a “pool of 50 candidates” to post on a message board.

BC

I started watching the press conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiolnX_LPKM

John Donahue - "I want you to know you have the full support of everyone in this room, Stanford athletics, and the entire stanford community". This was prefaced by "over the past several months, we conducted a very thorough and high integrity search" [4:10]. No gaslighting here.

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - BostonCard - 12-02-2025

are you being facetious? I think it is possible to have identified a preferred candidate at the onset and still carry out a thorough search. In fact it would be negligent not to. The preferred candidate could wind up getting a better offer elsewhere, or maybe a red flag pops up during their vetting. I’ve seen candidates who knew they had the inside track blow off the process and make everyone question the initial assessment. Sometimes a dark horse just totally blows everyone away.

I think you guys are jumping to conclusions about a process that none of us know anything about. All we know is that the candidate that, at the onset looked like the most likely candidate to get the job got the job. Tha doesn’t mean the process was flawed or that it wasn’t thorough.

About the only thing we know is that Luck elected to bring Reich as a temporary coach for a year. I’m pretty sure that if Stanford wanted Pritchard, we could have had him in March, which tells me that, actually, Stanford wanted to conduct a more thorough search than simply identifying Pritchard and bringing him in.

BC

RE: UCLA is hiring James Madison’s Bob Chesney - 82lsju - 12-02-2025

(12-02-2025, 03:45 PM)BostonCard Wrote:
82lsju dateline='[url=tel:1764698907' Wrote: 1764698907[/url]']
the ESPN article has the claim about 30+ candidates. I have a hard time believing that 30+ candidates either reached out about the job, had Stanford reach out to them, and/or were interviewed

Why do you find that surprising? The position has been opened for a long time, so plenty of people may have approached Stanford about the job, particularly because most coaches will have agents reaching out on their behalf. I mean, wouldn’t you have your agent reach out if you were a college coordinator looking to jump to be a head coach, a college coach at the FCS or G5 level looking to go to an FBS school, or a recently laid off coach (of which there are plenty)?

If Matt Squeri can compile a list of 50 names to post on a message board, surely Andrew Luck and the AD can compile a list of candidates; from that they probably reached to to a dozen or so to test the waters. Surely a bunch said no, and the result was a manageable list of a handful of names that were seriously considered and hopefully interviewed.

To be honest, since “a pool of more than 30 candidates” is vague to the point of meaninglessness, I am surprised that it wasn’t substantially more than that. As mentioned, one poster assembled a “pool of 50 candidates” to post on a message board.

BC

I guess it depends on how you count candidates, I'm thinking viable candidates, people where there was some level of mutual interest and some more than cursory discussions.

1. the job is not all that desirable in the grand scheme of FBS coaching jobs which would weed out many (likely part of #4)
2. actually talking to 30+ candidates (or their agents) in any level of detail is a time sink and creates lots of opportunities for leaks. If X number of candidates (or their agents) who reached out were told "thanks for your interest" and that was the end of their candidacy then I would not count them as a viable candidate. Sure some agents would try and have a discussion so their client could go back to his current employer and ask for more money since "they are under consideration for a head coaching job".....
3. if Stanford reached out to 30+ candidates (or their agents) and X number said "thanks but no thanks" then I would not count them as a viable candidate
4. Matt's pool of 50+ candidates included more than a few who were highly unlikely to ever be an actual candidate