Bob Chesney knows there will be lulls during UCLA's program comeback

TL;DR

UCLA head coach Bob Chesney acknowledges that building a football team involves ups and downs, particularly during spring practices. He noted that while practice intensity can dip, especially around the sixth session, the team has managed to maintain focus.

Key points

Bob Chesney is the new head coach of UCLA Bruins.
Building a football team is a long process with ups and downs.
Practice intensity can dip around the sixth session of spring practice.

Mentioned in this story

Bob Chesney

UCLA Bruins

Building a football team is a long process and new UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney is well aware of that. Chesney is also aware of the fact that development in practice isn’t always linear.

During Chesney’s media availability on Tuesday, Chesney discussed the battles that teams go through as they’re getting back accustomed to the spring practice schedule.

“I told them (the team) before, practice six is usually when it dips a little bit. And I thought on defense we did not, on offense we probably slowed down a little bit,” Chesney said of practice intensity. “I didn’t feel a dip from the group, which was great, but usually right about now is when that starts to happen.”

Chesney identified practices 6-8 in the spring as when teams can have their focus drift. According to Chesney, that drift doesn’t always last long, with teams usually being able to lock back in shortly after.

“I thought they did a good job today. Not a great job but you’re going to have those days,” Chesney said. “It’s just the nature of the beast, right? And I thought our guys fought through it really hard today and put themselves in a good spot. I didn’t see any steps backwards from anybody today.”

UCLA is looking to rise from the ashes under Chesney. The Bruins had a pitiful 2025 season where they went 3-9 and were stomped out against every quality Big Ten team they faced. There will be slower days, and weeks, as the new-look UCLA Bruins looks to regain its status as a legitimate threat but until then, it’s all about the process.

This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire:

Q&A

What challenges does Bob Chesney face during UCLA's spring practices?

Bob Chesney faces challenges such as potential dips in practice intensity, particularly around the sixth practice, as teams adjust to the spring schedule.

How does Bob Chesney plan to keep the UCLA Bruins focused during practice?

Chesney aims to keep the Bruins focused by recognizing when attention may drift and encouraging them to lock back in quickly during practices 6-8.

What did Bob Chesney say about the intensity of UCLA's spring practices?

Chesney observed that while the defense maintained intensity, the offense experienced a slight slowdown during practice, which is common around the sixth session.