A great deal has happened since DeShaun Foster was fired more than two months ago. Names have emerged as favorites to be the next UCLA head coach. Here are five to watch:
Jedd Fisch – Washington (Head Coach)
The skinny: While Fisch did not play high school or college football, he graduated from Florida back in 1998. And he began his coaching career immediately after. He spent most of the first half of his coaching career in the NFL but has been at the college level seven of the last ten seasons. Most notably he was the offensive coordinator at UCLA in 2017 and the head coach at Arizona from 2021-2023 before making the move to Washington prior to the 2024 season.
Aside from the one season he spent at UCLA, he was also with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018 and 2019. Fisch is also a candidate for the Florida job, which he has obvious ties to as an alum. But would the move back to Los Angeles make sense? I still have my doubts, but this connection is one that won’t die. More clarity is likely coming when the Lane Kiffin situation resolves itself, because if the Florida job is still open next week, expect Fisch’s eyes to be on Gainesville.
Bob Chesney – James Madison (Head Coach)
The skinny: No coaching name has gotten hotter nationally over the last two months than Chesney. A Pennsylvania native, Chesney has spent most of his playing and coaching career in the New England/Mid-Atlantic region. This includes head coaching jobs at Salve Regina, Assumption, Holy Cross and now James Madison. Overall, he has compiled a 130-51 and has won seven conference championships.
Chesney is going to be a head coach at the P4 level, so the question is when and where, not if.
Virginia Tech was initially the hot destination, but that has changed to UCLA and Penn State. At Penn State, Chesney is in their top tier along with interim head coach Terry Smith. If the Nittany Lions become eligible for a bowl game on Saturday, there is a realistic chance that they announce Smith as their next head coach soon after. If this happens, the buzz between Chesney and UCLA will grow.
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Sep 21, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; James Madison Dukes head coach Bob Chesney on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium.Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Sean Lewis – San Diego State (Head Coach)
The skinny: After playing his college football at Wisconsin, Lewis began his coaching career in 2009 at the high school level in Illinois. He has spent most of his career in the Midwest but made the move to Colorado in 2023 to become Dieon Sanders’ offensive coordinator. He then became the San Diego State head coach in 2024, where he is currently enjoying a 9-2 season with the Aztecs.
While his overall coaching record is far from impressive (36-42), a closer look shows why he is considered a quality head coach. At Kent State for five seasons, after a 2-10 start, he then went 22-21 over the next four. On top of this he went 18-10 in the MAC. Since his departure, the Golden Flashes have gone 5-30 and 3-20 in the MAC. Then at San Diego State he took over a program that went 4-8 in 2023. After going 3-9 during his first season, Lewis has the Aztecs in first place in the Mountain West Conference.
Lewis is a relatively new name to the top list, but got there through his reputation as an impressive offensive minded coach.
Tommy Rees – Cleveland Browns (Offensive Coordinator)
The skinny: Rees has been on a steady coaching rise since his career began back in 2015 at Northwestern as a graduate assistant. Before that he was more known as Notre Dame quarterback from 2010 to 2013. However, once his playing days concluded, he quickly and successfully pivoted to the sidelines. He found his way back to South Bend in 2017 and then Alabama in 2023 as the Tide’s offensive coordinator. His last two seasons have been spent in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, where he is currently the offensive coordinator.
So, what are his ties to the Bruins? Rees was born in Los Angeles and his father, Bill Rees, was an assistant at UCLA from 1979 to 1994. And at 33, he has already proven himself as one of top young minds in the game. While other names have come and gone during this search, Rees name has continued to linger as a realistic option.
Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders works with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees during rookie minicamp May 9, 2025, in Berea.Credit: © Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Brent Brennan – Arizona (Head Coach)
The skinny: Brennan began his coaching career in 1996 at Woodside High School in California, but before that he played at UCLA. He has spent his entire career on the West Coast and has been a head coach at San Jose State and now Arizona.
His overall coaching record is only 46-59, but he successfully improved both the Spartans and Wildcats. After he went 3-22 in his first two seasons at San Jose State, the Spartans then went 31-26 over his last five. At Arizona, the Wildcats went 4-8 in 2024 after the team’s roster was gutted with Jedd Fisch’s sudden departure, but Brennan quickly rebuilt the program to have them at 8-3 this season.
His connection to UCLA is obvious, which is something that can’t be ignored. Expect his name to continue to be mentioned as a realistic option.
