Just three days after the sudden departure of Chip Kelly, UCLA has hired longtime assistant DeShaun Foster as their new coach. Foster played running back for the Bruins and later worked as an assistant under both Jim L. Mora and Kelly; he was hired as the running back coach for the Las Vegas Raiders 10 days ago, but will now be returning to his alma mater. In an unprecedented move, Chip Kelly left the Bruins on Friday to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement: “While undergoing a comprehensive search for our new head coach, DeShaun resonated from the start and throughout the whole process. 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.”
Following his time with Bruins from 1998-2001 in which he finished with 44 touchdowns and 3,129 yards rushing (both of which rank top-three in program history), Foster spent seven years in the NFL and began his coaching career in 2013 as a student assistant at UCLA under Mora. He was a graduate assistant with the Bruins from 2014-15, and after a brief stint at Texas Tech in 2016 he returned to the staff in 2017 as running backs coach through the 2023 season. Foster was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Said Foster: “This is a dream come true. 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.”
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