Small-Town Roots, Big-Time Rise: Kulpmont’s Bob Chesney Wins Sun Belt COY, Takes UCLA Job While Leading JMU’s Playoff Push
By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | December 7, 2025 | Photo courtesy Getty Images / JMU
Small-Town PA, Big-Stage Brilliance
Kulpmont, Pennsylvania isn’t exactly a football metropolis. But that’s where Bob Chesney first learned the game, long before leading James Madison University into the national spotlight.
A 1996 graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School and a 2000 Dickinson College alum, Chesney carved out his coaching reputation the hard way. Stops at Division II and the FCS level earned him respect as a relentless program-builder. Then came his shot in Harrisonburg.
On December 7, 2023, Chesney was named head coach of the James Madison Dukes. What happened next was nothing short of historic.
- In Year 1, he guided the Dukes to a 9–4 record
- Delivered the first bowl win in program history, 27–17 in the Boca Raton Bowl
- Kept building… and winning
This season, JMU exploded into national relevance with an 11–1 record, a Sun Belt East Division title, and most recently, a 31–14 win over Troy to capture the Sun Belt Championship. That performance sealed Chesney’s newest honor, Sun Belt Coach of the Year, the latest line on a résumé that keeps growing.
NEPA Talent on the National Stage
Chesney isn’t the only one representing the 570 at the highest level. His roster is dotted with Northeast PA playmakers fueling this JMU surge:
- Braeden Wisloski, WR – Southern Columbia alum
- Lacota Dippre, TE – Lakeland graduate
- Chase Pensyl, WR – Shamokin standout
Together, they’re proving that NEPA football belongs in the playoff discussions too.
West Coast Bound… After Business Is Finished
On December 6, Chesney was announced as the new head football coach at UCLA. There’s star power in the move - Los Angeles, the Big Ten transition, the biggest stages college football has to offer.
But before he heads west?
There’s still a championship to chase.
If James Madison earns a College Football Playoff berth, Chesney will stay on the headset and lead the Dukes through every snap. Because that’s who he is, finish the fight, finish the job.
A Story NEPA Can Stand Behind
Blue-collar. Grit-driven. Unafraid of the moment.
That’s Bob Chesney. And that’s Northeast Pennsylvania.
From Kulpmont to California, from Friday-night beginnings to national-title dreams—Chesney is carrying the identity of home on the biggest stage in college football.
And the story?
It’s only just getting started.
