Like one of his moves on the gridiron, DeShaun Foster decided to take a cut back to Westwood.
Foster was announced Monday as UCLA’s next head coach. The move comes three days after head coach Chip Kelly left the Bruins after six seasons to be the Ohio State offensive coordinator.
“This is a dream come true,” Foster, the school’s 19th head coach in school history, said in a release announcing his hire. “I always envisioned being a Bruin ever since I was young, and now being the head coach at my alma mater is such a surreal feeling, and I’m grateful for this opportunity. The foundation of this program will be built on discipline, respect and enthusiasm. These are phenomenal young men, and I’m excited to hit the ground running.”
Foster will have an introductory press conference Tuesday at 11 a.m.
As Kelly flirted with other jobs, Foster initially joined the Las Vegas Raiders to be the NFL franchise’s running backs coach just 10 days ago.
Once Kelly made the decision to leave, UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond announced a national search that he expected to be completed within 96 hours.
“While undergoing a comprehensive search for our new head coach, DeShaun resonated from the start and throughout the whole process,” Jarmond said in the release. “We are looking for a coach with integrity, energy and passion; someone who is a great teacher, who develops young men, is a great recruiter and fully embraces the NIL landscape to help our student-athletes. DeShaun checks all of those boxes and then some. He is a leader of men and a true Bruin. I am excited to partner with him as we usher UCLA football into an exciting new era.”
Foster has 11 years of collegiate coaching experience, including the last seven as the running backs coach to go with the title of associate head coach last year at his alma mater. Under his watch, the Bruins have had a running back selected in the last four NFL drafts, including Zach Charbonnet (2023), Brittain Brown (2022), Demetric Felton (2021) and Joshua Kelley (2020).
UCLA led the Pac-12 in rushing offense each of the last two seasons and finished in the top 20 nationally for three consecutive seasons.
In 2022, the Bruins averaged 237.2 yards per game on the ground while helping the program set a school record in total offense (503.6 yards per game).
That same year, Foster was a nominee for the Broyles Award presented annually to college football’s top assistant coach.
Among his first priorities will be finalizing the assistant coaching staff. His vacancy as running backs coach and Ken Niumatalolo’s departure to be the head coach at San Jose State leaves two full-time positions open, including a decision on an offensive play-caller.
Foster, who is in the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame, also played seven seasons in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers (2002-07) and San Francisco 49ers (2008).
As a player at UCLA, Foster finished his career ranked second in touchdowns scored (44), third in yards rushing (3,194) and fifth in scoring (266 points) in school history. He was named a second-team All-American in 2001.
Foster’s hire also comes with the approval of several players on the current roster. Immediately after Kelly informed the team he was leaving, Bruins running backs T.J. Harden, Isaiah Carlson and Deshun Murrell were among those who quickly took to social media to throw their support behind bringing Foster back in the fold as the next head coach.
Under NCAA rules, players on the roster have a 30-day window from the time of Kelly’s departure to decide whether to stay or transfer.
