While Dave Roberts has been a model of consistency since being hired as Los Angeles Dodgers manager prior to the 2016 season, the same hasn’t held true for his alma mater.
The UCLA football team has cycled through five head coaches, when including interims, during Roberts’ managerial career. The Bruins are poised to usher in a sixth new head coach during that span with their hiring of Bob Chesney from James Madison University.
Chesney became the Bruins’ top choice after an exhaustive search that Roberts played a role in as he looked to lend his support to the university and football team, per Ben Bolch of the L.A. Times
“I went to UCLA, I’m proud of that,” said Roberts, an outfielder who graduated as the school’s all-time stolen bases leader, “and I just felt that with my role in Los Angeles, there’s some opportunities and I’ve also got some experience and understanding of the university, understanding of the city of Los Angeles and felt that as an alum, I could add some value. I’m all in on trying to revive this football program, and I feel like I want to do my part to help out in any way I can.”
The Bruins fired DeShaun Foster after he started the season 0-3. Foster was only in his second year as head coach of the UCLA football team. Tim Skipper was named the interim coach and he immediately guided the Bruins to a historic upset of Penn State.
Now Chesney takes over of a Bruins football program after spending the last two seasons at James Madison. But first, Chesney remaining coach of the Dukes after the qualified for the College Football Playoff.
Meanwhile, Roberts’ affinity for the Bruins is reciprocated as he was into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.
UCLA head coach history
Since Roberts’ first season as Dodgers manager in 2016, the Bruins have had Jim Mora, Jedd Fisch (interim), Chip Kelly, Foster and Skipper as head coaches of their football team.
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