Former Tennessee football quarterback Nico Iamaleava is going to have a new head coach at UCLA this upcoming season. After DeShaun Foster was fired following a 0-3 start to the 2025 season, the Bruins went the rest of the way with an interim head coach before hiring Bob Chesney from James Madison in the offseason.
Despite the coaching change, Iamaleava decided to stay at UCLA through the coaching change. As Chesney adjusts to the move across the country and taking over the program, he fielded questions from On3 for an interview. This included his first impressions of Iamaleava.
“What he does on the field speaks for itself,” Chesney said to On3. “He was under quite a bit of duress last year. He had some weapons, not a ton, and really found himself in a spot where he had to create a lot of things after the play with his legs. He did a decent job of that as the year went on, and he took some hits, he got himself back up and went right back in that game.
“What’s impressed me in my short period of time here is that at the beginning, it was a feeling-out stage of exactly who can I trust? I’ve watched him move to the front of the line now and just command a room and hold people accountable. Things that all great quarterbacks and leaders do. I’m extremely, extremely impressed with him as a young man.”
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In Iamaleava’s first season at UCLA, he completed 64.4% of passes for 1,928 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 505 yards and four touchdowns. The Bruins finished 3-9 with a three-game win-streak over Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland sandwiched in the middle of the year.
Iamaleava was Tennessee’s starter for the 2024 season, which saw the Vols earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs. However, the UT offense suffered through significant struggles and relied on an impressive defense instead.
On the 2024 season, Iamealava posted 2,616 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for 358 yards and three scores.
As a true freshman, Iamaleava served as Joe Milton III’s backup. He was a five-star recruit out of high school, ranking as the No. 2 player in the class behind just Texas’ Arch Manning.
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