Preserving a winning formula, new UCLA football coach Bob Chesney is bringing his top two assistants across the country with him.
Chesney is hiring offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler — who both served in those same capacities under Chesney at James Madison — in a nod to continuity after the Dukes reached the College Football Playoff for the first time.
The hiring of both coordinators was confirmed by someone with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the moves have not been announced.
Kennedy has worked with Chesney for four consecutive seasons, joining his staff at Holy Cross as quarterbacks coach prior to the 2022 season before earning a promotion to offensive coordinator the following season. Kennedy then accompanied Chesney to James Madison before the 2024 season.
Hitschler’s ties to Chesney go all the way back to the Division III level. In 2011, Hitschler was Chesney’s defensive line coach and co-special teams coordinator at Salve Regina before the duo reconnected at James Madison before this season.
Both Kennedy and Chesney presided over units that were among the best in the country, James Madison ranking No. 11 in points scored (37.1 per game) and No. 15 in points given up (18.4).
James Madison rolled up 509 yards of offense during a 51-34 playoff loss to Oregon on Saturday, the most points and yards the Ducks gave up all season. Kennedy is known for designing creative offenses that spread the field, breaking out flea-flicker and Statue of Liberty plays to help the Dukes post 70 points against North Carolina in 2024 while tying a record for the most points given up by the Tar Heels.
Both coordinators possess something their boss doesn’t — experience coaching at the Power Four level. Kennedy was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State and Florida before earning a promotion to offensive quality control coach and later assistant quarterbacks coach with the Gators.
Hitschler was co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Wisconsin in 2023 before taking a job as co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Alabama in 2024. Hitschler also has NFL experience as a training camp assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles and a player personnel assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kennedy’s connection with Chesney goes back to a flurry of job-seeking letters that Kennedy sent to college football coaches around the country while at Florida. Chesney not only responded but also donated to two charities with ties to Kennedy’s family after doing some research on the persistent assistant. A year later Chesney hired Kennedy when a vacancy opened on his staff at Holy Cross.
Chesney also is expected to hire several more James Madison assistants to fill similar roles at UCLA after bringing in Florida State’s Darrick Yray as general manager.
Yray, who recently completed his fourth season as general manager with the Seminoles, also has strong West Coast connections. Yray rose to director of player personnel at Oregon State after working for the Beavers in a variety of roles and also was assistant director of football operations at Fresno State, his alma mater.
