"The Sleeping Giant of a football program has been hibernating for so long that no one can be certain it's still hibernating. The Sleeping Giant could be a Dead Giant. Bob Toledo couldn't build a consistent winner at UCLA. Rick Neuheisel, Jim Mora and Chip Kelly couldn't either. None of them were able to build a nationally relevant program by leveraging UCLA's numerous advantages - the high-profile conferences in which its teams competed, the second-largest media market in the country, the school's academic reputation, the Southern California weather."
"Chesney obviously doesn't think so, and he's now the leader of a broader mission to prove that football can matter at UCLA. "It's not up for debate - if we will [win] or we will not - we will," he said. Chesney said that when he was being courted by UCLA, he was struck by how much the members of the six-person search committee believed the Bruins could be winners. "There is zero chance that they're going to allow us to fail," Chesney said."
Bob Chesney was introduced as UCLA's new football coach, presenting a welcoming, new-age demeanor during a lengthy Q&A. Observers remain uncertain whether he will transform the program in the manner of recent high-profile NFL turnarounds. The UCLA football program has been described as a dormant or possibly dead giant after multiple coaches failed to build a nationally relevant team. Historic advantages—conference affiliation, large media market, academic reputation and Southern California location—have not produced sustained success. Chesney expressed absolute confidence that the program will win, noted strong belief from the search committee, and will have funding for a pricier staff.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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