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Bob Chesney made his preseason intentions clear on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He wants to throw his players into the fire.<\/p>\n
UCLA\u2018s first-year coach strategically scheduled his fall camp practices to keep guys in the heat, put players in adverse situations to see how they would react and, since his hire, has centered the program on competition and grading.<\/p>\n
Former NFL quarterback Derek Carr, who retired last year, is joining UCLA\u2019s coaching staff as a special advisor to coach Bob Chesney.<\/p>\n
Hosting a week of preseason camp at the Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine to emulate the process of being on the road, giving the team a taste of what it feels like to be in a bowl game \u2014 something UCLA has not experienced since the 2023 season.<\/p>\n
Chesney has emphasized the importance of top-down alignment throughout his time as head coach, but as the pads come on with the season opener on the horizon, he is focused on the connectivity on the field, and if what transpires at Spaulding Field can travel to Irvine in an unfamiliar environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a big part of it, was us continuing to build connectivity, reteach our systems and then continue to develop on a day-to-day basis,\u201d Chesney said after camp Tuesday. \u201cAnd that\u2019s ultimately what camp is about. Being away, sharing a hotel with everybody, being in an outside area. It helps quite a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The former James Madison coach said that the team had several options to pick from, with his staff looking at places with junior college and high school fields and the proximity of a hotel that could house his team.<\/p>\n
But, ultimately, he settled on Great Park \u2014 the training grounds home to the U.S. men\u2019s national team during the 2026 World Cup \u2014 for his first taste of an off-campus preseason camp.<\/p>\n
While the week of practice is testing the players\u2019 ability to connect and execute in a different environment, it also gives the team an opportunity to cultivate and develop relationships off the field \u2014 another tenet of Chesney\u2019s coaching philosophy.<\/p>\n
And the Bruins will get that opportunity Wednesday, an off day, for players to not only rest, but also to focus on each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey get to sleep in a little bit tomorrow, and then we head down to the beach and have a cookout out there \u2014 Newport Rib Company is sponsoring it \u2014 and then after that we are hanging out together down there,\u201d Chesney said. \u201cWhen that\u2019s done, come back, hang out by the pool. There\u2019s no meetings. There\u2019s nothing tomorrow. It\u2019s truly a day off, so there\u2019ll be a lot of time to get a chance to spend together.\u201d<\/p>\n
A week in Irvine also gives Chesney the opportunity to connect with alumni in the Southern California area, with the coach hosting them at practice Tuesday and giving them a small taste of what the Chesney-era Bruins look and feel like.<\/p>\n