The Future of UCLA Football With Bob Chesney

Summary

Ringer Tailgate – May 13, 2026
Episode Theme: The Future of UCLA Football With Bob Chesney

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Episode Overview

From the historic Rose Bowl, the Ringer Tailgate crew dives deep into the fresh energy surrounding UCLA football, featuring new head coach Bob Chesney. The episode explores UCLA’s evolving identity within the Big Ten, the intricacies of modern college football—from recruitment and NIL to culture-building—and the challenges/opportunities surfacing as the program seeks national relevance. Special guests including TJ Houshmandzadeh and memorable sideline banter bring energy and humor to smart, insightful commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rose Bowl Vibes and Goofing Around

[01:11 – 04:12]

• The crew broadcasts from the Rose Bowl, sharing their excitement about the venue and UCLA’s spring football atmosphere.
• Banter about the Hall of Fame (including O.J. Simpson’s inclusion) and Joel’s minimal but comical notepad entries (“Ice” and “hot tub”) showcase the show’s trademark blend of fun and sharp observation.
• They tour new facilities: “We went to the Hall of Fame. We went to, like, the new field club that they're building.” [01:49, Tate Frazier]

2. Interview with TJ Houshmandzadeh: Youth Football and The Modern Game

[04:24 – 10:22]
Standout segments:

• TJ shares how playing in iconic venues leaves lasting memories for young athletes:

  “For these kids to get this experience...they'll always remember this. They'll always remember this. And that's why I love sports.” [04:36, TJ Houshmandzadeh]

• The rise of skill development at younger ages, thanks to social media and training access—“Kids coming up now are more skilled, better than we've ever been. The problem is, can you figure out who's good for you?” [05:19, Houshmandzadeh]
• On athletic burnout:

  “You wanna be tortoise in the hare. If you're the best, you better have a maniac of a mind that you’re gonna continue to work.” [06:04, Houshmandzadeh]

• Parenting balance:

  “I can't have my child working out five, six days a week, 11 months...then he gets to high school, he don't want to work out no more...Who cares where they are now if football is something they want to do long-term in the future.” [06:41, Houshmandzadeh]

• NIL and recruiting realities for schools like Oregon State and UCLA—retention and player pay are pivotal:

  “If you're not paying these kids, it’s hard to get the best kids...Why wouldn't the player [leave for money]? That’s all.” [09:52, Houshmandzadeh]

3. Main Event: Bob Chesney (UCLA Head Coach) Interview

[12:36 – 45:33]

A. UCLA Football’s Sleeping Giant Potential

[13:17 – 14:56]

• Chesney describes the program as “a sleeping giant” and sees zero reason why UCLA can’t win at a high level:

  “Everything is winning at an elite level, except for football. And that's what we got to get done.” [14:56, Chesney]

• Draws inspiration from UCLA’s total championship pedigree and campus excellence.

B. Fixing What Held UCLA Back

[15:12 – 16:07]

• Identifies belief and community energy as prior missing pieces.

  “...an energy that just has to permeate everything within this program … We’re not here to be served. We’re here to serve other people.” [15:12, Chesney]

C. Recruiting Philosophy and Early Success

[16:07 – 18:19]

• Chesney: “We’re matchmaking here…the quickest way to develop is to play.”
• Focuses on energy, accessibility, and selling both the short-term (early playing time) and long-term (life after football) UCLA benefits:

  “You make this decision at 17 and the 40-year-old you will be really happy about it…eventually the 60-year-old you will be extremely happy about it.” [16:27, Chesney]

D. Adapting Recruiting at a Higher Level

[18:19 – 19:13]

• Notes transition from “developmental guys” at lower levels to competing for blue-chip 4-5 star prospects.
• “Now we are attractive to a four star kid and a five star kid. Where before, we never even could talk about that.” [18:19, Chesney]

E. USC Rivalry

[19:13 – 20:33]

• Chesney: “When you get to that game, throw the records out the window.”
• Acknowledges the importance for fans, alumni, and the community.

F. Influences and Coaching Tree

[20:33 – 23:05]

• Credits his father as his formative coaching influence.
• Mentions relationships and lessons absorbed from Jim Margraf, Brian Kelly, Amanda Belichick, and Jim Harbaugh:

  “...just be a lifelong learner and just know that you’re never a finished product.” [22:39, Chesney]

G. Leaving the East Coast, Embracing LA

[23:14 – 25:57]

• Chesney describes being UCLA’s top choice, and how the school’s belief sealed his move.
• Reiterates unique campus culture and excellence outside football.

H. NIL & Transfer Portal: Talent Acquisition & Retention

[26:17 – 30:19]

• “There’s zero rules about tampering right now…they’re coming for your guys. If he’s a good player, they’re coming for him.” [27:14, Chesney]
• Discusses challenges of player retention, importance of relationships, and the escalating market for players.
• On keeping players: “If you came up a little bit short [financially], I imagine it still works in your favor, just because it’s not worth it to leave if you don’t have to.” [30:19, Chesney]

I. Nico Iamaleava: Belief in His Quarterback

[30:22 – 33:15]

• Original outreach to Nico—“We need you to stay.” [30:48, Chesney]
• On Nico’s physical upside: “He’s got a 42 inch vertical...this kid could jump out of the gym...he’s elusive, he’s explosive...and [has] a giant arm.” [32:28, Chesney]
• New pro-style offense expected to benefit Nico in 2026.

J. Balancing Development and the Professionalization of CFB

[33:15 – 37:51]

• Chesney’s coaching philosophy: “How do you not allow it to be just transactional?”
• Keeps focus on personal impact and lifelong relationships with players:

  “...there's still a purity in this, and there still is the help that these young men need.” [37:01, Chesney]

• Cites pride in seeing former players succeed off-field decades later.

K. UCLA’s Big Ten Fit & Nationwide Reach

[37:51 – 39:53]

• Embraces Big Ten membership for financial and competitive reasons.
• “I think it is now the Premier League...that exists.” [38:46, Chesney]
• Focuses on controlling the day-to-day, not grand conference narratives.

L. Managing Cross-Country Travel & Science of Performance

[39:53 – 41:26]

• Details on preparing athletes for time zone and travel challenges:

  “There’s like these supplements you could take on the plane...try to find a window to practice at the same time you’re going to be playing.” [40:12, Chesney]

• Acknowledges complexities but believes preparation can mitigate issues.

M. Adjusting to Los Angeles Life

[41:26 – 43:22]

• Chesney marvels at LA’s unique resources, lifestyle, and network. Shares how he and his wife explore new restaurants weekly.
• “It is as special as they come.” [43:22, Chesney]

N. Recognition and Community Moments

[43:22 – 45:03]

• Coach recounts “I’m really in LA” moments, including getting a call from Troy Aikman.
• Crew informs Chesney he was voted “most handsome coach” by their panel, to laughter:

  “I appreciate that. Should help us win a lot of games.” [44:55, Chesney]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chesney on UCLA’s tradition:

  “Everything is winning at an elite level, except for football. And that's what we got to get done.” [14:56]

• TJ Houshmandzadeh on youth development:

  “The best kid at this age is never the best kid when it matters.” [06:04]

• Chesney on NIL and the new landscape:

  “There’s zero rules about tampering right now…they’re coming for your guys.” [27:14]

• Chesney on player relationships—retention vs. transaction:

  “It was like, if this is just business, let's just make it business. I’m not going to care about these kids, they're not going to care about me...I tried it for a day and I was like, no, I can't do it. It's not me.” [34:52]

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Important Timestamps

• [01:11] – Crew intro at Rose Bowl, lively banter
• [04:24 – 10:22] – Interview with TJ Houshmandzadeh: youth football and athlete development
• [12:36] – UCLA Head Coach Bob Chesney joins
• [13:17] – “Sleeping giant” UCLA ambitions
• [14:56] – 15:12] – What Chesney thinks was holding UCLA back
• [16:07] – 17:50] – Recruitment strategy and why future is bright
• [19:13] – 20:33] – USC rivalry dedication
• [23:14] – 25:57] – Chesney’s hiring journey and move west
• [26:17] – 30:19] – NIL/transfer portal realities
• [30:22] – 33:15] – Nico Iamaleava’s future at UCLA
• [33:15] – 37:51] – Culture vs. business in college football
• [39:53] – 41:26] – Big Ten fit and travel logistics
• [41:26] – 43:22] – Chesney’s impression of life in Los Angeles
• [44:23] – 44:55] – Coach crowned “hottest coach,” laughs abound

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Episode Tone and Takeaways

Energy: Fast-paced, irreverent, funny, but deeply insightful.
Takeaway: UCLA, under Bob Chesney, is poised for renewal—infused with belief, modern recruiting, and strong values. Juggling NIL, player retention, and the Big Ten transition, Chesney aims to build a lasting, winning culture rooted in relationship and personal growth, while celebrating LA's unique pull and resources.

If you’re interested in the intersection of college football tradition and the sport’s fast-changing new era, this episode is must-listen gridiron therapy.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Welcome to Rigor Tailgate, a very special edition. We're here at the Rose Bowl. I'm your host, Tate Frazier. We got a great show for you. A lot of UCLA spring football content. We got some fun stuff to show you, but first and foremost, let's say what's up to our guys.

[C]

Van Lathan.

[B]

What up, Van?

[C]

What up? What up? What up, Ra Guys. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here at ucla, having fun with my guys.

[B]

Yeah, we're having a great time. We also got Joel Anderson flew in. What's up, Joel?

[D]

What's up, man? Y', all.

[B]

Didn't Joel, the mic. Use the mic.

[D]

Oh, yeah, sorry. Y' all didn't say nothing about me having this cap on before I got started. This is just to carry it, not to have it. But anyway, it's good, man. I'm happy to be here. LA is lovely.

[B]

Yeah, nice Rose bowl calf that we got. Shout out to everybody that took care of us. Also Billy Gill, the legend himself in the flesh.

[C]

Da Duke.

[B]

The Duke. We love to see it. We got a fun show. We're gonna talk about the UCLA spring game. We got some shots around the stadium. We went to hall of Fame. We went to, like, the new field club that they're building. Joel, what did you learn here from the rose Bowl?

[D]

That O.J. simpson still in the Rose bowl hall of Fame.

[B]

He has not let this go the entire day. We have tried to have have a nice day here in Pasadena, but what.

[D]

What's. What does. How does bringing up OJ Ruin the day? I don't understand.

[B]

You stopped the tour. They left the Guide left the room and you held it up to find O.J. simpson. A lot of goofing. A lot of history.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Goofing and gagging.

[B]

Goofing and gagging.

[C]

I learned a lot about the Rose Bowl. Joel was only obsessed with the most problematic parts of the Rose bowl.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Finding O.J. simpson. How segregated. It was all different types of aspects. He was really trying to ruin the tour single handedly.

[B]

I. I caught a glimpse because Joel was trying to partake in the festivities. Joel brought a notepad because he's a joke journalist. Yeah, Big J, like old journalistic notepad. He handed it to me while he was doing some sort of photography. So I took a look at his notepad.

[D]

You looked at my notepad?

[B]

It was open. Can you show Van what the two things on your notepad are? He has two words written down. Two notes for the entire day on your notepad. Two words.

[C]

His notepad says news Reporter's notebook.

[B]

Yeah. Just in case you didn't know.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

You know, he's a J. Here are the two words. Read them, Joel.

[D]

Okay. Ice. Cuz I wanted to ask them, did they have to reach some sort of agreement with ICE to keep them problematic?

[B]

Yep.

[C]

All right.

[D]

And then so they have this nice new area that they're building for fans, you know, like a luxury suite or whatever.

[B]

Right.

[D]

And I was like, why wouldn't they have a hot tub there?

[B]

So the two words, I guess three in total. Because it's two words. The three words that you had on your news notepad were ice and hot tub. Idea and hot tub.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So there you have it. A breakdown of the Rose Bowl. Lollygagging and goofing around.

[C]

A lot of goofing around.

[B]

Also, we had TJ Husmanzada come hang out.

[D]

He gave me some tips on what to do with my son. Man.

[B]

So we got all that coming up. This is Ringer Tailgate, very special edition here at the Rose Bowl. Thanks for tuning in. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, everywhere else, and come hang out with us and raise the roof.

[C]

Goofing and gagging.

[D]

Did you play Pop Warner?

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

How good was your team tape?

[B]

I was a quarterback.

[D]

Okay. How good were y'?

[F]

All?

[D]

Did y' all win every game? All right, we're here.

[B]

A special guest. TJ Hushman's Auto out here just coaching the kids. This is like your son's team, right? And you guys are having a little halftime here at ucla. I mean, how fun is it for you to kind of see these kids out of here?

[E]

Take my Son out of it, just for these kids to get this experience. Because there's a lot of kids that will never step foot on a college football field, let alone a premier program. And so many will, but a lot of them won't. And so for that point of it, they'll always remember this. They'll always remember this. And that's why I love sports.

[B]

It's the best.

[C]

We were talking amongst ourselves, we talked a little bit about the difference in the skill and technique that we see out of the kids now that didn't exist when we was playing at that level of football. Talk a little bit about how y' all train and why they throwing spirals and routing people up and mossing people. What has changed in the game?

[E]

Social media has made it easier for kids to get access to guys that really know what they're doing. And there's some guys that don't know what the fuck they're doing, but it's a lot of that do. And so the kids coming up now are more skilled, better than we've ever been. The problem is, can you figure out who's good for you and who isn't good for you? Do you understand the game from a mental perspective? Because there's a lot of kids that are really good physically, but mentally, they don't get it.

[D]

How important is it to be good at this age? Cause I was kind of wondering, because it doesn't really.

[E]

I have a saying, for the most part, the best kid at this age is never the best kid when it matters.

[C]

Never.

[E]

Never. Because you get comfortable, you know, you stop working. And the guy that's at the bottom is saying, I gotta get him. And he runs right by you and you're standing still. And so you wanna be tortoise in the hair. You wanna be good. But if you're the best, you better have a maniac of a mind that you're gonna continue to work. If not these kids that are below you gonna pass you up.

[C]

So then what's the most important thing for a kid this age if it's not physical tools? What's the most important thing? To make sure that you don't get complacent and that you're not passed up by the people behind you.

[E]

Do you have parents that understand I gotta push them? But he's a kid, right? I gotta let him be a kid. I can't have my child working out five, six days a week, 11 months out the year, and he's a star in middle school. Then he gets to high school. He don't want to work out no more. He's burnt out, his body is banged up. Who cares where they are now? If football is something they want to do long term in the future. College and the NFL.

[B]

Speaking of like college football, NFL football. I mean, obviously you're dealing with these young kids and you love the game so much, but like, how much do

[G]

you keep watching these games?

[B]

Do you keep up with the NFL? Do you keep up with college football?

[E]

That's all I do.

[B]

Okay, good.

[E]

That's all. I train. I train a lot of guys for the combine, Right. I've been knowing Nico since Nico was probably 8 years old.

[B]

Wow.

[E]

Worked out with Nico a ton. His brother Madden, we love Madden. So I trained a couple guys that play at ucla. But yeah, I've been started training guys for the combine about seven years ago, six years ago. Covid.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

And been fun.

[D]

So what do you think is going to happen with Nico this year then?

[C]

Like how?

[D]

I mean, because, I mean, obviously it's a new coach, a whole new system. He's coming off an injury, but like what do you think people should expect out of him this year?

[E]

I like the coaching staff. I like the way Chesney, he's a winner, he won a James Madison. And then you look at the recruits that he's bringing in. So when you live out here or you have a team, who the hell don't want to come out here and play in California, right? Like, you just got to go get the kid. And so I believe they going to be successful. I believe if they're successful, that means Nico is successful. Successful. Nico has so much physical talent, so much physical talent. I think this coaching staff will unlock them.

[C]

Last question for me. What do you put in the hair? What's the routine? What's the product? Is it the juice? Is it juices and berries? What are we going for? What do you put in the hair?

[E]

You know what I put in my hair, I got a brush, okay, this morning, put it under the seat with some water. I hate it.

[C]

I hate it.

[E]

I brushed it, I hate it. That's it on that.

[C]

I hate it.

[E]

And then like cuz, aloe vera gel I put. I don't put like, that's it, water. Brush it with aloe vera gel. That's it.

[B]

Simple, simple.

[D]

That's crazy, man. That's crazy. Look, so you're organ, you know, same.

[C]

Just go ahead.

[D]

You know, people were here. We relate, you know what I'm saying? You obviously went to Oregon State, right? And so, you know, you Played against ucla. But this is not your. That's not your area. But like, how good do you think UCLA can actually be in the Big Ten? Because even though this is a new coach, they're playing against Ohio State, Michigan, all the schools, they have so much money and so many resources.

[E]

Their coach is just gonna have. You just gotta make sure you can compete in the trenches. If you can compete on an offensive defensive line, we good. Everybody has good skill players, some better than others. You gotta be able to compete in the trenches, Right. If they can do that and Nico play ways how Nico should play, they'll be competitive with everybody.

[D]

What about Oregon State, man? What do you think? Because, I mean, y' all are in coming back.

[E]

I like. I like Shep, man. Yeah, with this nil is just different, bro. If you're not paying these kids, it's hard to get the best kids. And if you get an under the radar type of guy, he leaving because he should leave. He should leave, right? Yeah, because you got to get this money. These coaches, they going to get this money, right? They going to leave if they get a better offer. Why wouldn't the player. Right? That's all.

[B]

Yeah, we've seen a Cam Ward leaving wazoo.

[C]

They gone.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. So it happens. But tj, we appreciate you. Good luck with the rest of you, brother.

[D]

Appreciate you, brother. Yeah, man.

[E]

I got to go talk to one of these UCLA coaches. I need his son on my tackle team if he want me to help him get players at ucla.

[B]

Did you ask if Bob Styles was at the spot?

[F]

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[A]

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[G]

No more.

[D]

Darnay Holmes was there. Darnay Holmes. I think Darnay's from down here.

[B]

All right, as promised. Joining us now, UCLA football head coach Bob Chesney. Coach Chesney, thanks so much for taking the time.

[G]

Yeah, thanks for having me. I appreciate you guys being here. I understand you're at the spring game the other day or something. Appreciate you being there, too. And thanks for coming out.

[D]

Oh, man, it was a lot of fun. A lot of energy around it, too. You know, it was a lot of people.

[B]

You know, we were learning about Terry Donahue and his legendary coaching career here and all like the different staples of the Rose bowl and a lot of energy. Just about UCLA football, which obviously, you know, typically a basketball school, but it feels like it's moving in the right direction. And we just saw a basketball school win the national championship, so. And a former JMU coach did it. So you're kind of like, you got the blueprint now.

[G]

Sounds good to me.

[C]

So piggybacking off that UCLA has always been a very proud football tradition, but it's had its ups and downs in terms of competing at the highest level. Now being in one of the major conferences with you coming in, hopes are high that they can become like, a really stable, excellent football program. What do you feel you can do to make that happen? And how can. How would you say delivering. How important is delivering on the promise of UCLA football that hasn't really been like, recognize over the years. How important is that to you?

[G]

I mean, it's very important. I mean, to me, it's very important. But I also know to our community, it's important to our alums. It's important to everybody involved in this program, you know, it's very, very important to our students. It's important. I think that's a big piece of. The reason why I'm here is to. I did not look at this, and I know what the outside world thinks about this job and everything else that comes with it, but to me, I didn't feel that way. I felt like this is a sleeping giant. I felt like there is zero reason why this can't be done here. When you talk about the academics, you talk about the other sports teams. 127, you know, national championships have been won here. Number two in the entire country. We have three this year. We might have put four or five. We'll have a million, not a million. We'll have a bunch of first round draft picks. The whole women's basketball team, plus one in the first round. Wnba, baseball will be the same. A bunch of Olympic athletes here on this campus as well. And I just think that that's just in the athletic side. And then you go take a walk down the campus and you start to go into the future CEOs and the future engineers and doctors and lawyers, and it's just a place that, to me, should be. Everything is winning. Everything's winning at an elite level, except for football. And that's what we got to get done.

[D]

Well, Coach, when you were, you know, considering whether or not to come here without, you know, talking about any of the coaches that came, that preceded you or whatever, but what do you think was holding UCLA back? Because obviously that's something you're looking at. You're like, I'm gonna have to fix that when I get there. So what do you think what was going on?

[G]

I think a belief, like, I think a strong belief and an energy that just has to permeate everything within this program. You know, doing this to being in the community, to walking around, hand out pizzas at frat parties to try to get, you know, people excited again. And I think that's it. But I. So it's one of two ways, right? We can't play a game just yet, so we can't get excited about winning because it's not gonna happen for a little while. So now you gotta make it a little more personal. And there's gotta be moments where our team's out in. Where I'm out in the community, where we're accessible all of a sudden, for the first time in a long time, and that we're not here to be served. We're here to serve other people. And I think we're not looking to just keep taking. We're looking to give. And the more you give, I think then in the end, the more you probably get. So our guys understand that. I understand that. And I feel like the energy and just the relentless effort that's going to be poured into every little thing and every person on this campus, our alums included, that's all part of what we have to do to actualize this.

[C]

You are having an enormous amount of success right now in the recruiting trail.

[G]

Right.

[C]

And you look outside the window and you would think, why not? Like, why would someone not want to come play?

[B]

That's what we said when we walked.

[C]

Yeah.

[G]

Like every time we're on campus, like, why?

[C]

What would you say is the secret sauce into you being able to communicate what you want to do to recruits?

[G]

Well, I think that ultimately you're. I say it all the time, but we're matchmaking here. Right? That's really realistically what we're doing. We're presenting what we are, what we have, what we're capable of becoming. And then add in the fact that you probably could play early here, probably get on that field a little bit earlier here, and I think the quickest way to develop is to play. But then add in all of the things that this program once was and then show them, you know, they've all come to practices, they've all been to the weight room sessions with us. They all understand, again, the energy and the excitement that we're going to bring to it every single day, no matter what. That's the type of people that we need here. And that's the biggest thing that we're finding with a lot of these recruits is that they go to other practices and they like them, they come here and they love them. Right. And that passion for the game is what I need to bring every day. I need our coaches to bring every day and I need that trickle down to our players and then bring it every day. And then, you know, we hold each other to that standard at a high level and just never relent. And I think that's the thing to me is you want to be part of people that love football, that want to be the best at it, right. In this area. You know, that also could set you up for life long after football. And I think that's really the big thing to me is you can make this decision on UCLA and the 17 year old, you will be happy about it, but the 40 year old, you will be really happy about it, you know, and then eventually the 60 year old you will be extremely happy about it. And I just think you're entering into this, you know, brotherhood and even sisterhood given, you know, everybody else on campus with some pretty elite people. And I think that's just what we have to present and get out there. And I think we're doing a decent job of that.

[D]

They're asking you to do so something different though, because when you're at JMU and you're at Holy Cross and you're going out to recruit, you're not getting the four or five stars, right? You're looking at guys and you're saying I this in three years, this project, all conference player or whatever, right? And like that's how you get like a Saheer west, right, when you bring him out here and he looks pretty good. So like would like this is a change in recruiting strategy for you too, right? Because you can't. It's not really possible at this level to just take all development guys, right?

[G]

No, it's not possible. And I think that this is the truth of the matter though for me is that when we were at Division three, we weren't trying to recruit Division three kids and run that program like a Division three program. We're trying to run it like a Division two program. Division two. We're trying to run more like an fcs. Fcs, we're trying to run more like an fbs. You got to James Madison. We're trying to run as close to an NFL team, you know, as you possibly can. And that's got to be the same that gets held true here. So you think back to those teams at Holy Cross, you know, we beat UConn, we beat Buffalo. You know, we were toe to toe with B.C. and army, you know, in the same year. You know, there was a lot of things that we overachieved, you know, on people that had a whole lot more than us. We were doing more with less. And I think now in this moment, you're giving us an opportunity to do more with more. And that's what, you know, I think all of our coaches, our players in this community is excited about is that now we are attractive to a four star kid and a five star kid. Where before we, we never even could talk about that. You know, I think that's the reality of what's happening now.

[C]

There are a lot of awesome rivalries in college football. Sometimes you have rivalries that are in state, in conference, you have one that is in city. So, you know, right down there to the south, you have one of the blue bloods in the history of college football. And they have a major share of the consciousness of LA college football fans. How much, how important should I say is that rivalry to you year in and year out, being able to beat SC and like, give Bruins pride that they can beat them in?

[G]

Yeah, a lot. I think that you're probably sharing offices with people if you're a Bruin that were a Trojan. Right. I think is you're probably sharing a community with people. Probably your church is full of, you know, people that, that understand either side of that equation. There's neighborhoods that support one over the other. And I think that's all just part of, you know, what it is right now. So I think, you know, us putting a product on the field that could compete with them, which we haven't done in the past little bit of time, is just. Is what it is. And that's what we should be doing and we should be looking forward to doing. And I think when you get to that game, final game of the season, throw the records out the window, right? That's a whole different ball game when you, when you get a chance to play, you know, that team and they get a chance to play you. So I just think we have a lot of work to do. They had the number one recruiting class in the country a year ago. They'll probably have the number one recruiting class again this year. And we got to step up our game a whole bunch, right. To make sure that we, we can compete at a level that we want to compete against them.

[B]

I do want to ask, Coach, as far as, like, people that you look up to, as far as mentors in the coaching game, you've climbed up every single level. Like you said D3, D2, went to holy Cross, turned that into a powerhouse. What you did at jmu, following now a national championship coach. But, like, who did you look up to? What mentors did you have and like, what kind of is your coaching philosophy?

[G]

Yeah. So for me, it starts the day I was born. My father was my high school coach.

[B]

There you go.

[G]

I had a chance to, like, understand what this profession was all about. I had ability to really know how just tiring and relentless it is and that you just can never have bad days.

[B]

My dad was my coach too, so it never stopped. You know, you're just like, leave me alone.

[G]

Exactly, exactly. Him waking me up in the middle of the night, being like, you got to come see this on film. I was like, dude, I am trying to sleep right now. But it was just part of that, like, that was pretty exciting, you know, growing up that way. So then he was very impactful, obviously. And then I went on into my start, my college career and, you know, just had a chance to run to a guy named Jim Margraf, who was at Johns Hopkins University, that was a legendary coach and just recently going to be inducted into the College Football hall of Fame. Like just a super human who's no longer with us, but that we. We think about every day. Then after that, I had a chance to kind of move on up. And when I got to Assumption College, Brian Kelly from Notre Dame at the time was an alum. So I'd go out there and spend, you know, a couple. Couple days out there, you know, three years in a row, I think. And that was interesting because it's. Obviously we had different coaching styles, but learning the sports science behind it and learning about the volume that you were going to dictate for practices, understanding nutrition, and so sports science, like, going through all those things really allowed me to take a different leap and execute some of that at the Division 2 level, which not a lot of people were doing. And at that Division 2 level, nine guys from our team went to the NFL, which was unheard of at a team that had never won before. And then when I got to Holy Cross, Amanda Belichick was the women's lacrosse coach. So I got to get pretty comfortable and friendly with Coach Belichick and spend a lot of time over there. And we text often and just share a lot of ideas together over the years. When I was up in New England, and then when I got down to jmu, I got really close with Coach Harbaugh. And then where I grew up in the little town in Pennsylvania, Brett Veach, who's the GM of the Chiefs, he grew up. We're the same age. We both grew up together in this tiny little town in the middle of the mountains of Pennsylvania. So there's a lot of people that I've been able to learn a lot from. And then I would just visit as many places as I could and just still will try to do that. I'll try to get over the Chargers and the Rams and just be a lifelong learner and just know that you're never a finished product. And the minute you think you got it, you're wrong, because it's all about to change, because this game is very different right now than when I got into it at the very beginning.

[B]

Yeah, that's a great list of guys. And you got Jim Harbaugh out here. With the Chargers right now. So a lot of people to, you know, kind of reach off and make things happen. Joel, you're. You're ready.

[D]

What are we ready for what?

[B]

And look at you. Ready to ask a question.

[D]

Oh, I thought you were talking about LA or something. I was like, what are you talking. What is going up there? No, but coach. So you. This is. I mean, you're an east coast guy. Like, you've never really been out here on the west coast or whatever. And I'm imagining that when you're at JMU and you're having the success you are, and you're probably thinking, oh, these are the jobs that are going to be the right fit for me, and this is what I'm ultimately going to end up. It must have been really disorienting to be out here to usa. How did that even happen? Like, how does that. How does that happen? Did you come all the way out here?

[G]

Yeah. Well, first, I wasn't looking for any jobs. I was trying to do our best. And we were in a situation. We're going to be undefeated in the Sunbelt, hopefully hosting our first ever championship game and making the playoffs. And we were fortunate enough to do all those things. But then as the year goes on and you keep doing well, obviously your agent starts getting some fielding some phone calls and figuring things out. And then I had a chance to do a couple zooms during a bye week and some other moments later, and I just felt the energy here. I felt this was just a different place. I felt like everywhere else, as I was talking to them, they weren't sure about me. They weren't 100. Like, how's he gonna do it? He's never been at this level. And there's a group of people here that just really believed and in what we could accomplish. And that was cool to be someone's top choice and for them to express that and them to follow through with it. But then that sends you into this thing of, like, all right, I gotta learn about this program. And you start digging deep into this program and you're like, what? You said you walked on this campus and go, how are they not? How are they not? And then you start looking at the alums, you start looking at the history of this. You start looking at the people outside of football. You know, the. The. It's just. It's remarkable. The people that have walked through this campus, it's different than almost anywhere else in the world. And again, 127 national championships around here, you know, that's the difference is this is a place that wins. We just need to do it in football. I understood I was not from the West Coast. I understood I did not know people out here. I understood all the things that come with that and the criticisms that are going to occur early. And for me, it's. Where does any relationship start? At the beginning. Right? So it was important that we got a bunch of coaches out here, and we left every one of our practices open to them, which I knew they needed to see us practice, they need to see us lift weights, they need to sit in meetings and watch the way we coach and talk to our players, because all of that was going to be the ability for them to trust us. And it's not necessarily the quantity of time that you spend, it's the quality of time that you spend with them. And I think we did a really good job of making sure that our quality of time, you know, was impactful for them and things they could take back to their. To their programs. But then staying connected to them on a personal level, I think that's really important. So I feel great about a lot of the relationships we have here. I think it's showing up in recruiting, and we just got to continue to foster those and build those to what they should be.

[C]

His name I didn't hear because, you know, I know a guy who thinks that he had something to do with getting you out here and stuff like that. I talked to him, you know, this guy Bill. The Bill Simmons? The Bill Simmons? Yeah. You heard that guy before, Like, I'm glad you didn't say his name. Somewhat. Feather in his cap. He now he's all ucla. He's never cared about college football before.

[B]

Ucla.

[D]

T shirt over there, guys.

[C]

Got it. Ucla. I can't wait. UCLA is going all the way. He's, you know, I think they have a real shot at the playoffs. 10 to 2. Like, okay, Bill, like, I had to get him. I had to beg him to do this, right? And now he's Mr. College Football. Let me ask you a question about the current landscape of the sport. Nil. The transfer portal. I imagine when you first got into coaching, of course, it's impossible for those things to have been a part of college football because we're just getting used to them now. How do those two things change your calculus in the way you go about the process of building a program that you can sustain over time?

[G]

Yeah. So there's a couple of things in there. The first thing is you're talking about really, talent acquisition is really what that has to deal with. And then talent retention is really the other thing. Holding onto your. Your own team. So those two things, when you have great ones, you got to keep them. Right. And you got to find a way to keep them. I. There is no. There's zero rules about tampering right now. You could do whatever you want, and even if you get caught, nothing's going to happen. Yeah.

[B]

And you got, like, Snapchat, Instagram coaches are everywhere.

[G]

It's really out of control. So you got to understand that they're coming for your guys. Right. If he's a good player, they're coming for him. So are you prepared to have money set aside or do whatever you have to do to. To retain? But then as far as acquiring them, this is the hardest part for me because back in the day, it was about me and you having a relationship, and then me with your family having a relationship. Who's the trigger person helping you make your decision? I can have a relationship with them. Those were all things that used to happen. Now I can't even talk to you until we get through the agent first. And are we even in the ballpark? Are we even in the general vicinity of what you think he thinks you're worth? And we might be the perfect match for each other, but we're never going to talk to each other because we can't get numbers right on the front end. So that's all part of, you know, that. Where the whole thing starts. I will say this. I thought initially when we got into this, I thought, oh, man, I'm going to look at you as a player, and I'm going to have this, like, bubble above your head with a number in it, and I'm going to be like, we're paying you that much and you can't do what we're asking you to do out here. I thought I would almost take that personally. But it's. You're just right back to coaching, you know, so it becomes the retention and acquisition. When that is done, they're just guys on the team, and you're just running the team how you would normally run the team. And I don't worry about, you know, any of that stuff necessarily. When you're coaching the guys, you gotta be true to the process.

[C]

Quick, follow up on that. When you say retention and having the relationships, how much of the relationship with keeping a guy on your team is about making sure you have the money that he might command, and how much of it is about the connection to the actual player?

[G]

Well, I think that it's got to be both. No one's giving up money, you know, if they don't like it here or they don't feel you truly care about them, you know, and that they don't truly feel connected to you. But there is, you know, it's hard to move. It's hard to just pick up in the middle of your college career and move somewhere and find yourself losing credits, probably not graduating on time, making new friends. You don't necessarily know where you're going. And if what they're telling you is true, and if they're bringing you in, they're obviously bringing in other transfers. And it was interesting because I had that conversation with some of our players when we first got here, because we were bringing in, we had 17 transfers the first weekend, and our team was here at that moment lifting weights and running and doing those things as we're hosting 17 people. So I just said to them, look, I get it, it's uncomfortable right now. We don't know each other enough, but just stay the course. If you got to go, go. But if you're going to stay, we need you to, you know, commit to staying if you want to go. Just let's. Let's get it over with quickly so we can figure it out. But just know, wherever you go, they're going to have 10 linebackers on the team, they're going to have five quarterbacks. You know, they're going to have their six running backs, they're going to have their five tight ends, they're going to have their 20 offensive line, like, it's 105 is the roster. And now there's ways to be a little bit over, but that's really it. So it's not like you're leaving something. You're like, oh, they're bringing in these guys. Well, so is everybody else. We're all getting the roster to the same numbers. Do you like it here? Do you see the value in staying here? Do you understand it? And that's the retention piece that I think it's not that easy to just pick up and walk into the. The unknowns. So you do need the money to be able to match a lot of those things out there. But if you came up a little bit short, I imagine it still works in your favor, just because it's not worth it to leave if you don't have to.

[B]

Also, LA is pretty nice.

[G]

Yeah.

[D]

Well, speaking of the retention piece, you may not know this. We're the foremost Nico podcast in the country. We are big. Well, I'M a big fan of Nico.

[C]

He loves Nico.

[D]

I've been on Nico's side the whole time because I thought he caught kind of a bad deal. I thought a lot of people were rooting for him to fail after the Tennessee thing didn't work out. So you had a chance to get to know him this time. What do you think about Nico and what's your relationship with like, and did. Did you. Was it a conversation of, like, we want you to stay, or how did that go?

[G]

Oh, yeah, that was the first conversation is the minute that it went. The minute that it went public was the first thing that I did was call Nico and just say, look, we need you. You know, we need you to stay. We need you to do this the right way. And I think, you know, just think back to the year that he had. So first when he got here was like mid summer, almost towards the end of summer. So he's got a couple weeks with the guys, and then football camp starts. So he gets through the four weeks of football camp, they start playing, he gets here he is with his new team the first game of the season, he gets through three of them, and all of a sudden the whole coaching staff is gone.

[B]

Yep.

[G]

So now, like, when that happens, you could imagine everybody starts to kind of pull away to their corners and. And protects themselves. So could he become the leader that he needed to become? And I don't know that you can in that environment. That's a challenge. If you could. You're obviously, you're phenomenal at it, but it's hard when everybody else is protecting their interests and it's not about the team, it starts to become about them, you know, and I think that's a hard world to live in. And I admire those guys that were able to do it, you know, through the rest of the year, come up with those three games in a row and win some big ones, and just at the end, lost steam. But ultimately what I said to him is, look, it's different this time around. You're the leader, and you need to know that you're the leader of this team. Don't wonder do these guys think you're the leader? Because we did a leadership vote, and by far there was, you know, 85% of the votes were for him. You know, he just is viewed that way and perceived that way. So it's important that he carried himself that way. And that's something I shared with him back in the winter, and he's been lights out ever since.

[D]

Our colleague Todd McShay says that the NFL feels a lot differently about Nico than a lot of other people. People do, right, that they think, hey, six foot six, very athletic, a lot to work with. What do you think? He can be one of those big name, top end of the draft guys, like, from what you've seen so far?

[G]

I do. I mean, you said it. He's, he is a big dude. He's got a 42 inch vertical. He was like an unbelievable volleyball player, you know, growing up. So this kid could jump out of the gym, right? And then you watch him run. When he pulls this ball down and runs, he is not easy to tackle. He's fast, he's elusive, he's explosive. And then watch him just throw this ball down the field like he's got a giant arm. There's a lot in there. Now this is the, like the, the, I guess, really the first year, you know, that system at Tennessee is a little different. You spread it out really far and just chuck it around. Here he's in a little bit more of a pro style offense, so I think it'll serve him well. And I think the first couple games will give us a pretty good indication into, you know, what, where, where he's at. But I love everything that he's done up to this point, point in time. But he has every, you know, physical attribute to, to be a high level guy.

[C]

Coach, as I listen to you talk, you seem to be obviously the mark of any good coach, successful coaches, you're into the individual stories and experiences of your players. And a lot of people are wondering. I'm a college football purist. I'm not a purist about anything except for college football. I love tradition, I love culture, love all of those things. How much is it still about developing young people, about having a relationship with young people, about giving young people stability, introducing them to the world, teaching them, guiding them, molding them. When we have such a professional standard and a professional archetype in construction of

[G]

the sport right now, I think that's everything. And I think that, that, you know, it's interesting because there was probably a crossroads I hit when I got to JMU. There's, you know, we brought in 67 new players, you know, to JMU in one season, the season I got there.

[D]

So that's not even 105, 10 man roster, is it?

[E]

Right.

[G]

That's right. So yeah. So Matt, just imagine this for a second. Okay, so you're at Holy Cross. At Holy Cross, I was saying it before. There's not grad school, there's no, 50 years. If you were going to do a fifth year, you needed a compelling academic reason, so you had to double major, right? In something if you wanted to stay for a fifth year. Because there was no grad school. We had, I think, one transfer over the six years I was there. So then I go to JMU and I'm like, I can't wait to meet the team. You know, I go there, they're in bowl prep, we go to play the bowl game. It's The, I think the 23rd of December, and I fly home. They fly where they fly the next day, I just look all over Twitter. I'm going, I'm going, I'm leaving, I'm leaving. I'm like, damn. I thought they were all talking to

[B]

me like, that was the caliper. I went to meet with the team.

[G]

There is no team, right? So that. So then I'm looking, going like, oh, damn. Like, this is different now. What are we gonna do? And then I was like, all right, how much money do we have in this nil, you know, field? And that we can handle? And we had, like, nothing, right? So, okay, well, let's go find some players. We gotta find 67 of them. So we find 67 players, we bring them in, not one of them for money. If you sat down and said, I need this much money, it was over. Like, there was nothing we could do about it. So every single kid that came in here was about, I just want a chance play. I know the history of this program. You know, let's get this done. So that was a big part of it. So had to do that, right? 67 new guys, as we went into it, was ultimately what we were dealing with. And then I got here and it was very similar. So it was this whole balance of trying to figure it all out, of just exactly how do you not allow it to be just transactional? And that was probably the biggest thing for me because right there at that, after the JMU, 67,1, a bunch left anyway the next year. And it was just poaching, you know, and they were getting better offers. And I was like, you know what? If this is just business, let's just make it business. I'm not going to care about these kids, they're not going to care about me. Let's just make it transactional and move on. And I thought about it for a day and I tried it for a day, and I was like, no, I can't do it. It's not me, you know, And I really was like, I'm going to do like a lot of other people do, and I just could not do it. I couldn't look at someone, you know, and not truly care about their growth and their best interest. And I. You know, this is a little bit of a segue from this, but it's going to lead me back to the same thing. You cut out whatever you got to cut out if it's too long of an answer. But ultimately, right, it was. I'm standing in the. In the conference championship game, right? We're hosting a conference championship game in the. In the Sunbelt. And I'm out on the field, we're warming up, and I look over to sideline. I see a kid from Johns Hopkins University who now works in the CIA, and he is on the sideline, his little son. This is from 20 years ago that I coached him. And then you go look over and there's, you know, five guys from the D3 school where I was initially the head coach, standing on the sideline. Two of them have their sons. Then I go over from the. From the D2 school. There's two kids. Then I look from Holy Cross. We got three guys on our coaching staff that played for us. One out on the field. I'm like, damn. Like, I just looked around somehow.

[B]

Bill Simmons.

[C]

Yeah.

[G]

I was like, this is ultimately, like, what it's about, right? This is what it's about, and I'm not going to lose sight of that. I watched my father do it for too long. I know that there's still a purity in this, and there still is the help that these young men need. Like, there's a lot of people pulling them a lot of different ways, from agents to their family to whatever. A lot of people using these guys for their own benefit. And it's important that you can be the stability and you could help develop them. You could provide, you know, that. That sense of becoming for them and also be a role model for them to understand what it. What they need to be. Because I hope everybody on this team, 20 years from now, I'm standing on some sideline, hopefully still here. And I look over and I see all of them that we've impacted because we're going to share this journey. And I don't want to sell anybody short, because to me, the worst thing someone could come back and say to you is, hey, I had more to give, and you never got it out of me, right. That. That would be the kiss of death to me in this profession.

[D]

Coach, what do you think of UCLA's fit in the Big Ten. Right. Because it obviously it's awkward. Most people that grew up watching college football, you know, we like to pack 12, PAC 12, After Dark, all of that. And now they're in this conference. It's, you know, kind of far flung and I mean, again, money has been an issue with UCLA for years. So like, what do you think you're going to be able to do to, you know, make that fit work? And what do you think about it, period? Like, is that, do you see that as like a long term thing where you just like.

[G]

Yeah, I don't even think about that. I don't, I don't think that far ahead or like think I don't have these grandiose ideas. I just, you know, it's, you know, really day by day, week by week, how can I do the best I can possibly every single day I walk in here, that's all I could control. And ultimately for me, I do think that there, you know, there is a lot of benefit to being in and that's financial. You know, there's a whole lot of reasons why you would want to be in this league. I think it is now the Premier

[B]

League, three straight Champions League that exists.

[G]

And it's not, it's not only in football. Like look at the other sports going on out here.

[B]

You know that basketball just won Michigan.

[D]

You might just say it means more. Yeah, he's a SEC part.

[G]

So I think for me there's a lot in there that, you know, I'm proud to be part of this and I just think what is our place? Place is whatever we're going to make of it and how we're going to handle it on a day to day basis. And I think we're off to a good start with the recruiting.

[C]

Is there a way, specifically when you talk about not just the culture of being in the Pac 12 or the Big 10 or whatever, but being a school that's this far west and playing games in Minnesota and Ohio and Michigan because you, what you see now is I can think of a couple of games in particular. Penn State came out and played SC in the first half of the game they were in quicksand. Second half of the game they woke up a little bit. And you can see these performances from midwestern schools coming west and western schools going east that seem to be not the best football that you get out of the young men. Is there a strategy or a. That you can kind of mitigate all of that travel when you're so far away from the heart of the conference.

[G]

Yeah. So I, I think that, you know, if, when it's a week to week basis, if you're doing it like you back two up, you know, or God forbid, three in a row up, which nobody's doing, you know, I think that's really hard, you know, if, if that's the case. But that's not the way this one works. And I think you just got to prep it properly. And there's a lot of sports science that comes into this. There's a lot of, you know how

[C]

you're gonna say more about that.

[G]

Yeah, yeah. So I think the ability to fly on Thursday is a big deal. Right. We actually have, there's like these supplements you could take on the plane too. That helps really reduce jet lag and help you with that. You got to keep yourself hydrated, you got to get to bed a little bit earlier, you know, when you get back out there and all those things that come with it, just trying to prepare yourself. But then it's also important throughout the week that you try to find a window to practice. At the same time you're going to be playing to start to get your body used to some of those things. I think the hardest one is probably going east to west and playing a 7 o' clock at night game. Yeah, right. You're finishing at 10, 11, 12, 1 o'. Clock. You're finishing that game for yourself. I think going that way. Playing a noon game is now 9am, but a lot of teams practice at 9am, right? Ourselves included. So there's things in there that I think, you know, you could be right with what you're saying. But I think if you manage it well, you keep yourself hydrated, you start to, you know, acclimate yourself to exactly those sleep cycles that have to occur. There's just, you know, things that, that we got to look at a little differently. Where does a nap fit in there? How does these things work? Those are all things that you just got to do to keep yourself on a, on the right trajectory. So by the time you get to game day, you're not exhausted.

[C]

Last question for me. How do you, what do you think of Los Angeles? Like la, man? Like you're out here. I moved from Baton Rouge to La Mo must be like 20 years ago and was like right away, just enthralled. I'm deep into it. I'm looking at the stars on the ground, I'm looking at the mountains. It's like you can go up and ski, then you can go to the beach, like what's your la? Have you fallen in love? Have you got the opportunity to fall in love with Los Angeles just yet?

[G]

Yeah. So there's not a ton of free time, but at the same point in time, I think that when you bring people through here and you start talking to them, you know, as recruits, and you start making sure that they see all the things that they need to see and you understand. Here's the other thing is, I mean, you look over Poly Pavilion, up the hill, that's Bel Air, right? You come right here, you come down. We're at the bottom of Bel Air. You go three miles on that mountain range that way, you end up in Beverly Hills. In Hollywood, you go three hours this or three miles this way, you end up in Santa Monica and Malibu. Like it's a whole different ball game. Like, it is the most sought after area code in the entire, almost United States of America, I would imagine. And I think that that provides a lot of really positives to it. Not only that those people choose to live here, the people that can live anywhere in the world choose to live here. That also affords this accessibility to some of the best accountants in the world, some of the best builders in the world, some of the best commercial real estate guys in the world, some of the best agents in the world, some of the best doctors, lawyers, whatever it is in the world. And that's important too, for our guys to be able to have that mentorship for life after football as well. So all of it really works together for me. I love where I'm at. I love, you know, getting a chance. We're in Harrisonburg, and I loved my time in Virginia and Harrisonburg, and we had, you know, two or three restaurants that we would frequent here. You could do anything to go out. Me and my wife started to try to do it on Thursdays. Like, let's sneak out and. And try to find a new place to go to dinner. And we're three Thursdays in at this point in time and just excited to just keep exploring this town because it is as special as they come.

[D]

Coach, have there been any conversations or phone calls or even just interactions with somebody since you've been here? And you're like, God damn, I'm here in LA for real. Like, this is ucla. Like, just something that, you know, that you just. Like that that clearly wouldn't have happened at Holy Cross.

[G]

There's a day. There's a ton. There's a ton. I think, you know, getting the job and Troy Aikman reaching out immediately was One that stood out to me that I was like, damn. Like, you know, he's like, look, I'm here. I know there's a lot of. I don't like the way that thing went down, you know, that I was involved in and I was public about not liking it. But I'm here, man. I will always be a supporter and I got your back and that was really important. And then there's just added up. There's a lot of things we've done since we've been here, from movie premieres to watching comedians to getting a chance to meet a lot of different people. Yeah. It wouldn't happen in Holy Cross. It wouldn't happen in Virginia. So there's a lot of really cool things that you have a chance to do, which when. When you have the moments.

[B]

Well, Coach, we appreciate you coming to the show. We're going to be rooting. Oh, you got one more.

[D]

Are we not. Are we not going to talk about it? Remember when we did our top five?

[G]

I think we should.

[C]

Oh, anytime that Joe wants to talk about something.

[D]

Remember the top five conversation we had to Nobody's.

[C]

Why don't you calm down? Let me tell Coach. Coach, as far as tailgate, we did something here and you were voted the inaugural hottest coach in the entire college football tailgate. We did a top five most handsome. I don't know if coach doesn't like that. We did top five most handsome and you were number one. Coach Joel wanted to make sure that you knew that.

[G]

Oh, yeah. I appreciate that. Should help us win a lot of games.

[B]

Well, Coach, we appreciate you coming on the show. You're welcome anytime and we'll be supporting you UCLA football this season. Good luck in year one and good luck. See how it looks.

[G]

I appreciate you. Appreciate you guys being here. You're welcome back anytime. Especially you live in here. Anytime.

[C]

I live right up the street.

[G]

Yeah. Come back.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Guys, we're trying to get him to la.

[D]

Yeah. I live in the dmv, so.

[G]

Yeah. A little tougher commute for you. But seriously, over the summer when we're lifting, running, if you just want to come back and. And hang out a little bit and just see.

[C]

Absolutely.

[D]

For sure.

[G]

Behind the scenes, I'd love for you to be. We'll have the opportunity to do it.

[C]

Of course.

[D]

Perfect.

[B]

There you have it. Coach Bob Chesney, thanks so much for coming on. The

[D]

foreign.

[B]

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[E]

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