JMU's Chesney to UCLA

[T-Dog]

All the major reporters are saying it. Just had a Sun Belt CCG presser and gave zero hints. He's coaching this weekend versus Troy, but this kills JMU's chances for a CFB Playoff spot IMO.

Two years to the day after Cignetti left.

EDIT: Chesney would stay for a JMU CFB Playoff run.

[BambooRdApp]

Interesting. I do not believe he has West coast ties in his coaching past. Maybe it does but matter these days.

[appstate24]

Darn it!

[T-Dog]

JMU is the furthest south and west he's ever coached. His entire past in in the northeast.

Rumor is that Penn State is targeting the BYU coach Sitake, so Chesney went with UCLA.

[BambooRdApp]

I realize that it hurts the conference and money. However, I am pulling for Troy almost as much as I pull for App. St. for one night anyway

[AtlAppMan]

Folks here complain about App not being able to keep good coaches, see what Kiffin did to Ole Miss. we have to accept that no matter who we get if they win the pastures are always greener somewhere else. Ole Miss was paying him $10M per year but he was never going to be happy. He left a CFB playoff team before finishing the year.

[AppOrange]

For the Sunbelt to be relevant, 3-4 of these 5 teams have to be good to really good:

Marshall
Troy
So Miss
App
Louisianna

The rest of the teams have no national brand as of yet and wont move the needle. If a JMU steps up and can take the place of one of these, fine, but Marsha, App and Lou stunk it up this year and S Miss and Troy had good seasons . . . SB a down year.

[RankinApp]

I love this for them!

Also go Troy!

[ASUTodd]

So once again a good number of JMU players will probably head to UCLA with Chesney. JMU will now be on their third coach in what, 4 years? Sound familiar? We shall see if they can keep the ball rolling but this is where the wheels started coming off for us.

[t4pizza]

So once again a good number of JMU players will probably head to UCLA with Chesney. JMU will now be on their third coach in what, 4 years? Sound familiar? We shall see if they can keep the ball rolling but this is where the wheels started coming off for us.

They have already had the same number of coaches as we have since 2019, they just managed it much better. This will give them 1 more head coach since 2019 then we have had. They have already survived the point where our wheels started coming off.

[AtlAppMan]

So once again a good number of JMU players will probably head to UCLA with Chesney. JMU will now be on their third coach in what, 4 years? Sound familiar? We shall see if they can keep the ball rolling but this is where the wheels started coming off for us.

They have already had the same number of coaches as we have since 2019, they just managed it much better. This will give them 1 more head coach since 2019 then we have had. They have already survived the point where our wheels started coming off.

Yes, let's take a close look as the devil is always in the details.
Satt here 5 yrs and built it up and left it stocked.
Drink was here for 1 year and coached it well but that one year also caused a deficiency in the recruiting both from lack of him being able to do anything coming in or going out. Thus a two year negative impact.
SC was here for 5 but should have been for only 3 but the hire was a knee jerk reaction. We picked an App Man vs search for best candidate and prioritizing towards someone "who would stay a while" vs scared of a hot handed guy who would leave too soon.
DLo - picking up the pieces and started on Dec 9 with short recuiting and portal window and no real staff in place.

So yea, lessons learned. Let's see how the next couple years go for each program.

[Saint3333]

So once again a good number of JMU players will probably head to UCLA with Chesney. JMU will now be on their third coach in what, 4 years? Sound familiar? We shall see if they can keep the ball rolling but this is where the wheels started coming off for us.

UCLA is bad, but I doubt Chesney takes nine like he did to Indiana. The 2025 JMU would lose by two TDs to the 2023 version.

Broader observation, but I don't think you'll see as many SBC players go to P4s as we saw last year. Now the AAC is about to get raided hard.

[AtlAppMan]

Chesney is going to a dumpster fire.

[BambooRdApp]

It is a risk for both parties. Not sure he has demonstrated he can recruit on a consistent basis given short tenure at JMU.

[Cro-Magnon App]

The whole state is a dumpster fire that will stay that way with the the leaders currently in position there.

[bcoach]

They have a much better AD and administration. Bet they hire an actual HC.

[appfanjj]

They will probably make another excellent hire for two reasons.
It is a job that would be very attractive to a good coach.
Their AD knows how to get it done and gets it done.

[Bootsy]

So once again a good number of JMU players will probably head to UCLA with Chesney. JMU will now be on their third coach in what, 4 years? Sound familiar? We shall see if they can keep the ball rolling but this is where the wheels started coming off for us.

They have already had the same number of coaches as we have since 2019, they just managed it much better. This will give them 1 more head coach since 2019 then we have had. They have already survived the point where our wheels started coming off.

I suppose the key difference is that JMU hired guys who possessed prior HC experience?

[AppFan11]

Chesney has the “secret sauce” in how to use the portal and make them play like they have played together for a couple years…. an exceedingly rare skill. JMU brought in 60 players in ‘24 and was 9-4 and in ‘25 they brought in 50 something and went 11-1 their OL kick _SS all season….. few have done it at a high level…. Cignetti and Chesney…. both from JMU. They do it differently but both have outstanding defenses like Top 5 defenses and productive offenses. He will have UCLA maybe not 10 wins but maybe 8-9 wins and 3rd or 4 th in the Big10… in yr 1. Very very few coaches have That secret sauce. Penn St screwed up by not hiring him.

[AtlAppMan]

Chesney has the “secret sauce” in how to use the portal and make them play like they have played together for a couple years…. an exceedingly rare skill. JMU brought in 60 players in ‘24 and was 9-4 and in ‘25 they brought in 50 something and went 11-1 their OL kick _SS all season….. few have done it at a high level…. Cignetti and Chesney…. both from JMU. They do it differently but both have outstanding defenses like Top 5 defenses and productive offenses. He will have UCLA maybe not 10 wins but maybe 8-9 wins and 3rd or 4 th in the Big10… in yr 1. Very very few coaches have That secret sauce. Penn St screwed up by not hiring him.

Excuse me if I am skeptical, UCLA is going to be much more difficult as you can see how his predecessors faired.
2008-2011: Rick Neuheisel (21-29)
2012-2017: Jim Mora (46-30)
2018-2024: Chip Kelly (35-34)
2024-2025: DeShaun Foster (5-7)

And all of the above were in a weaker Pac conference. Now UCLA plays in a strong B1G conference. I will believe when I see it and I like Chesney. I just think it is a bad place for Chesney. Kind of like Satt and Louisville.