UCLA football coaching search 2025: Candidates, hot board, names to watch from Bruins experts

After landing quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the spring transfer portal, hopes were much higher for head coach DeShaun Foster and UCLA heading into 2025. Things did not go to plan at all for Foster and Iamaleava as the Bruins started the year 0-3. UCLA fired Foster on Sept. 14 after falling to New Mexico as more than a two-touchdown favorite. Interim Tim Skipper went 3-1 in his first four games, but then finished the season on a five-game losing streak, weakening his case to be the full-time head coach. 

Now with the regular season over, the Bruins need to finalize a full-time hire quickly, and some intriguing names have popped up on the UCLA football coaching hot board as the calendar flips to December. If you love the Bruins, or just want to know who will be calling the shots for UCLA in the future, be sure to see what the proven team of experts are saying at BruinReportOnline (BRO), the 247Sports affiliate that covers UCLA.

BruinReportOnline's team of insiders are providing on-the-ground updates as the Bruins look for their next head coach. Stay in the know on all of the latest happenings surrounding the UCLA coaching search and sign up for a VIP membership to BruinReportOnline.

And for a limited time, BRO is offering 75% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at BRO already has a list out of several potential candidates and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to BruinReportOnline now to see them all.

Top UCLA football coach candidates

One name the staff has identified as a potential target on the latest UCLA football coaching hot board is James Madison head coach Bob Chesney. The Dukes went 11-1 this season, only losing at Louisville. They are now huge favorites in the Sun Belt Championship Game this coming Friday. 

Chesney led a top-10 scoring offense this season that was especially dominant in the run game. The Dukes, however, were well-rounded with a top-10 scoring defense as well. He doesn't have obvious ties to UCLA or the West Coast, but with the available Power Four jobs shrinking, this could be a logical next step for the up-and-coming coach.

"If you're looking for the next Curt Cignetti, why not start with the guy who inherited James Madison from him?" the BRO staff said in its last hot board post. "Chesney actually has a similar story, putting together two very good seasons at James Madison after excelling at lower levels, turning Holy Cross into a contender at the FCS level, and before that showing his chops at a pair of D2 and D3 schools in Assumption and Salve Regina. This would absolutely be UCLA making an evaluation and plucking a guy who has shown that he can really coach and develop." See more candidates at BruinReportOnline.

How to get insider UCLA coaching search updates 

The rest of the list includes several other exciting possibilities, including a rival head coach "who could be interested if approached." You can only see who it is at BruinReportOnline.

Who are the top names in the UCLA football coaching search, and which big-name coach could the Bruins take a big swing on? Go to BruinReportOnline to see their UCLA coaching hot board and more, all from a team of reporters with extensive experience covering the Bruins, and find out. 

And remember, BruinReportOnline is offering 75% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it's too late.

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