The DeShaun Foster era is over after 15 games and just five victories, the former UCLA star running back’s storybook rise to head coach at his alma mater coming to an abrupt, deflating end.
“Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,” Foster said in a statement.
Foster’s dismissal shifts the spotlight onto Jarmond, who made the unconventional move to hire Foster despite Foster’s having no experience as a coordinator or head coach.
“He said, ‘Listen, Martin, no one’s going to outwork me, no one’s going to outwork this program,’” Jarmond said on the day of Foster’s introductory news conference.
The Bruins started the season 1-5 before winning four of their last six games, momentarily steadying Foster’s standing with donors and fans.
After only five wins in 15 games, the legendary journey of former UCLA running back DeShaun Foster to head coach at his alma mater has come to a sudden and bitter conclusion.
Foster’s dismissal on Sunday, following a 0–3 start that included consecutive defeats to Mountain West Conference teams, demonstrated the Bruins’ refusal to remain the laughingstock of the college football world.
The interim coach for the remainder of the season will be Tim Skipper, a former interim coach at Fresno State who was hired as Foster’s special assistant prior to this season. The school is currently in the process of finding a permanent replacement.
After UCLA lost its first three games by a score of 108-43, the Big Sky and Pac-12 conferences sent trolling tweets, and national media figures widely mocked the Bruins, pointing out that they were the only team in the Big Ten without a win and that they had secured last place in the Mountain West.
Even with an extra week to get ready for the conference opener against Northwestern in September, there was no obvious route to success in the Big Ten, so athletic director Martin Jarmond said he decided to fire Foster after speaking with UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk. 26.
In addition to sending a message to our supporters that this is not what Bruin football will be, Jarmond stated, “I felt that the bye week and the timing gave our young men the chance to just take a breath, recalibrate, and change some things that give them the best chance to finish out the season strong.”. “”.
Having hired Foster in February 2024 after a less than 72-hour process, Jarmond took responsibility for the decision and expressed regret for placing the rookie coach in a challenging position with only six months to prepare for a new conference following national signing day.
With the Pac-12 membership’s diminished revenue and a shortened timeline, Jarmond remarked, “I think you make the best decisions with the circumstances and the resources that you have to work with.”.
Foster, who finished with a 5-10 record in just over a full season, is due about $6.43 million in buyout money under the terms of his five-year contract, unless he finds a new job that compensates for that sum. UCLA stated that it would use money generated by the athletic department to pay for Foster’s buyout.
Foster said in a statement, “Being the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime.”. “I am thankful for the chance to have led this program, even though I am extremely disappointed that we did not achieve the success that our players, supporters, and university deserve. “.”.
A 30-day transfer window will be available for UCLA players who wish to join other teams as a result of the coaching change beginning Monday. Players leaving the Bruins will have the choice to use a redshirt season but not play for their new team right away because they haven’t played four games.
After losing four-star offensive tackle Johnnie Jones of Bradenton, Florida, the Bruins already seem to have lost six high school recruits. David Schwerzel, a four-star defensive lineman from Seattle; Anthony Jones, a three-star linebacker from Irvine Crean Lutheran High; and Ramzak Fruean, a three-star linebacker from Spanaway, Washington. ; Yahya Gaad, a three-star edge rusher from Medina, Tennessee; and Cooper Javorsky, an offensive lineman from San Juan Hills High. declared that they were no longer dedicated to the school.
The focus is now on Jarmond, who took the risk of hiring Foster even though he had no prior head coaching or coordinator experience, after Foster was fired. Since the Bruins had suffered humiliating home losses to Arizona State and California at the end of the previous season, Jarmond was reluctant to fire coach Chip Kelly. This made it necessary to find a replacement quickly after Kelly left to take a position as offensive coordinator at Ohio State, which led some to blame the athletic director for leaving the football program in such a precarious situation.
“I comprehend the criticism,” Jarmond remarked. “I want to remind you that these choices are not made in a vacuum. When deciding where, when, and how to implement a coaching change, there are numerous stakeholders and considerations. Nevertheless, in the end, I am the athletic director. As the program’s steward, it is my responsibility. “.”.
As a legendary UCLA player who played in the Bruins’ final Rose Bowl game in 1999, Foster’s greatest selling points were his accomplishments as a running backs coach at the university under former head coaches Jim Mora and Kelly.
The candidate told his future boss that he would succeed by taking a relentless approach during a meeting at Jarmond’s house the evening before Foster’s hiring.
According to Jarmond, on the day of Foster’s first press conference, “He said, ‘Listen, Martin, no one’s going to outwork me, no one’s going to outwork this program.'”. It will be because we simply weren’t good enough that day if we lose a game. However, I promise to use every resource at my disposal to ensure the success of this program. “.”.
In announcing the move, UCLA stated that Jarmond and executive senior associate athletics director Erin Adkins would lead a thorough nationwide search for Foster’s replacement. A committee made up of successful business and sports executives as well as UCLA greats would support Adkins, and the committee’s name would be revealed once it was finalized.
What will the Bruins be looking for in their next coach, a process that is anticipated to take several months unless a perfect candidate for the position suddenly becomes available?
Jarmond stated, “It must be someone who embodies our core Bruin values — integrity, respect, and simply comprehends those four letters. However, we will be searching for a coach who, quite frankly, has the vision to lead UCLA to the postseason.”. We aim for the greatest possible victory. “”.
Jarmond underlined that this search was very different from the one that resulted in Foster’s hiring, pointing out that the longer timeline, which is likely to result in a larger pool of desirable candidates, and the increased resources available due to UCLA’s move to the Big Ten were the main differences.
Foster was hired primarily because of his passion and integrity, according to Jarmond. It also didn’t hurt that the coach was very well-liked by returning players, which helped the Bruins retain a large portion of their roster for his first season.
Foster’s inexperience, however, was evident in his first game; following his team’s comeback victory over Hawaii, the coach acknowledged that he was anxious and unsure of how to speak to reporters. After winning four of their last six games after starting the season 1-5, the Bruins temporarily improved Foster’s reputation among supporters and donors.
Foster seemed to be developing on the job after making a number of offseason moves, including overhauling his coaching staff and securing several significant recruiting victories, such as the acquisition of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a star, through the transfer portal. Another encouraging development occurred during the July Big Ten media days, when Foster gave a well-reasoned opening statement a year after fumbling through widely ridiculed and meme-filled statements that included the coach telling reporters, “We’re in L.”. A. “.”.
However, there was also an odd step back. Access to practices and player interviews during training camp was severely restricted by the coach, who at first claimed he wanted to give his program a family feel by hosting a carnival-style spring practice complete with a fire twirler and writing names on the backs of jerseys to help reporters identify players.
A 43-10 loss to Utah to start the season was dismissed by Foster, who claimed his team was on the verge of making the plays it needed to be competitive. However, a 30-23 defeat to Nevada Las Vegas and a 35-10 thumping of New Mexico revealed a number of concerning patterns.
Foster’s team struggled to move the ball, make defensive stops, and stay out of trouble. After falling behind 20-0 against Utah, 23-0 against UNLV, and 14-0 against New Mexico, the Bruins are still looking for their first lead of the 2025 campaign.
It is evident that Foster’s principles of discipline, respect, and enthusiasm were never fully implemented because of his players’ frequent penalties, poor preparation for weaker opponents, and lack of zeal on the sidelines.
When asked by a reporter who was ultimately at fault for his team’s failures in his last meeting with reporters prior to his termination, Foster first attributed them to poor execution before eventually acknowledging responsibility.
“Anything can happen to me,” said Foster, who will turn 46 in January. It can fall on me because I am the head coach. “”.
In an attempt to sound positive in a monotone, Foster stated that he would make adjustments during the bye week before the Bruins’ road opener against Northwestern kicked off Big Ten play.
Foster remarked, “We have two weeks to fix this, and we’re just looking forward to the chance to do so.”. “”.
After an ignominious end for a proud Bruin, those fixes will now be in the hands of someone else.
