Bob Chesney brings many assistants with him from JMU to UCLA
Bob Chesney’s original football team at UCLA will have a familiar feel to anyone who follows James Madison.
After hiring offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, the new Bruins coach also brings five other assistants who helped the Dukes reach the College Football Playoff: offensive line coach and running game coordinator Chris Smith, cornerbacks coach Eddie Whitley Jr., safeties coach Anthony DiMichele, defensive line coach Sam Daniels and special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Canan. While most of the assistants will retain their titles, Whitley will now coach Daniels’ defensive backs and defensive ends with the Bruins.
Chesney retains two UCLA assistants, safeties coach Gabe Lynn and running backs coach AJ Steward, with Lynn moving to a nickel backs coaching role. Chesney also brings in another assistant with Big Ten experience, Legi Suiaunoa, the former Michigan State defensive line coach who will fill the same role with the Bruins.
Vic So’oto will serve as the Bruins’ linebackers coach after spending the last four seasons in California in various roles. A former NFL linebacker who spent two seasons as USC’s defensive line coach, So’oto accepted the job as Cal’s outside linebackers coach in 2022. The following season, he added the role of special teams coordinator to his title before becoming co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach for the Golden Bears last season.
Chesney’s staff is rounded out by wide receivers coach Colin Lockett, who spent last season in the same role at New Mexico. Lockett has plenty of experience on the West Coast having been a graduate assistant at Oregon, in addition to being the defensive backs quality control coach at Washington and a graduate assistant at San Diego State. Lockett is also familiar with the Southern California high school recruiting scene after spending three seasons as the defensive backs coach at St. John Bosco High.
Steward also offers deep relationships throughout the West having worked at Kansas, Baylor, Oregon State, Arizona, Brigham Young and Rice. Suiaunoa and Steward overlapped at Oregon State for two of Suianoa’s six seasons as a Beavers assistant.
In another nod to continuity, Chesney hired Chris Grautski, his director of sports performance at James Madison, to become head strength coach at UCLA.
“In organizing our freshman team, it was imperative that we find coaches who fit a unique mold of UCLA football that will allow for immediate success,” Chesney, who is expected to complete his team soon, said in a statement. “This group has a great blend of skills, diversity and passion, and a history of winning. Our infusion of West Coast ties will be key to elevating the UCLA brand, not just in Southern California, but throughout college football. Most importantly, this coaching staff will create an environment of competition and tenacity that will challenge our student-athletes to be their best on and off the field.”
Most Chesney employees have close ties to their bosses.
Canan has been on Chesney’s staff for more than a decade, starting at Assumption College in 2014 before following Chesney to Holy Cross, James Madison and now UCLA. Smith spent five seasons working under Chesney at Holy Cross before leaving to become an assistant offensive line coach with the NFL’s New York Giants in 2023 and then joining Chesney at James Madison in 2024.
Whitley has the distinction of having worked for Chesney and predecessor Curt Cignetti during Whitley’s six seasons at James Madison, making him the longest-tenured coach on the Dukes staff this season.
DiMichele has worked alongside Chesney for the past four seasons after joining his staff at Holy Cross in 2022 and following him to James Madison. Daniels was a newcomer to Chesney’s staff when he was hired before the 2024 season at James Madison, his alma mater.
