How a Duke upset over Virginia could shake up CFP race
Could Duke derail the playoff race with an upset? The Before The Snap crew, breaks down the factors that could shift rankings and open new paths for contenders.
The last James Madison coach who came to the Big Ten turned the country’s worst program into one of its best. UCLA is hoping lightning strikes twice.
Bob Chesney was a candidate for several teams looking to fill vacancies after two seasons in charge of JMU. Since being hired by the Dukes after Curt Cignetti left for Indiana, Chesney is 20-5 in this two seasons, including an 11-1 record this season that has James Madison in the Sun Belt championship game and in contention for the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff.
Here’s how we grade the hire:
Grade: B
Some other schools — looking at you, Penn State — might regret not hiring Chesney.
He wins. Google him.
Yes, Chesney is going to draw comparisons to Curt Cignetti, because Chesney succeeded Cignetti at James Madison and maintained his success.
But, also, their rise through the ranks shows some parallels. Chesney, 48, coached in Division III, then Division II, then FCS, before cracking into the FBS ranks with James Madison.
And, get this: In 16 years as a coach, he’s only had one losing season at any level. That’s darn impressive.
Like Chesney, Cignetti also coached in Division II and the FCS before moving to FBS. They’re not replicas, though. Unlike Cignetti, Chesney didn’t work under Nick Saban. In fact, he’s never coached in a Power Four conference, even as an assistant.
Chesney, a Pennsylvania native, will head to the West Coast after spending his entire career in the Eastern Time Zone. UCLA is replacing alumnus DeShaun Foster, so you get the sense with this hire that a winning track record mattered than knowing the words to “Sons of Westwood.”
This will mark the greatest challenge of Chesney’s career. UCLA is one of the Big Ten’s tougher jobs. Didn’t they say the same thing about Indiana, though? Let’s see how true those Cignetti comparisons hold up.
