Bob Chesney earns an average of $6.75 million a year at UCLA on a five year, $33.75 million contract. UCLA hired him from James Madison in December 2025 after firing DeShaun Foster three games into a 3 and 9 season, and let him coach JMU through its postseason first. Chesney went 20 and 5 in two years at James Madison and is 131 and 51 as a college head coach.
| Average salary | $6.75 million, with modest raises each year |
| Total value | $33.75 million over five years |
| If UCLA fires him | 75 percent of his base salary and talent fee for the rest of the contract |
| JMU buyout | About $1.25 million owed to James Madison under his old contract’s tiered buyout |
| Staff | Offensive coordinator Colin Hitschler averages about $1.6 million and defensive coordinator Dean Kennedy about $1.34 million |
Contract terms are from the contract obtained by the California Post and reporting by ESPN and FootballScoop. The full national list is on our college football coaching salaries page.
The Bottom Line
Bob Chesney averages $6.75 million a year on a five year, $33.75 million UCLA contract, with 75 percent of what remains owed if he is fired. It ranks outside the top 30 nationally, a modest price for a Big Ten program rebuilding from 3 and 9. Follow the Bruins on the UCLA football schedule and UCLA score today.