UCLA Football: New Bruins HC DeShaun Foster Met With Men of Westwood

Foster has already met with Men of Westwood.

New UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster is already establishing key relationships for the football program. As had been announced earlier this week, Foster officially met up with Men of Westwood on Wednesday, the official NIL collective for UCLA football and men's basketball.

It seems the meeting went well, as Men of Westwood posted an update on X following the meeting that celebrated the "new era" of UCLA football under Foster.

What a great day to begin the new era of @uclafootball and Head Coach @DeShaunFoster26 with us @men_of_westwood . Ready to bring @uclafootball back to its glory. Let’s make this happen. A new era starts now! Go to https://t.co/DT9taRIAgU for information on how to be involved.… pic.twitter.com/JNzXEpvGn7

— Men of Westwood (@men_of_westwood) February 15, 2024

This meeting is crucial for Foster as he works to bring in key donors and NIL connections while taking over the UCLA football program. Once of the main struggles toward the end of Chip Kelly's coaching tenure of UCLA was their inability to regularly attract highly-ranked recruits and talent to the Bruins. 

Now, Foster is working to get UCLA ahead of the curve on recruiting and NIL. Connecting with Men of Westwood, a huge donor and NIL fund for UCLA, is a crucial start for Foster as he looks to rebuild UCLA's football program.

Not only does this meeting help build Foster's relationship with Men of Westwood and donors, but signifies how seriously Foster is taking NIL immediately in his tenure. This should hopefully help potential recruits see the potential benefits for their careers in joining the Bruins.

Beyond this meeting, Foster is already making a clear impact on UCLA football. Since the Bruins announced the hiring of Foster, no Bruins have entered the transfer portal. In fact, Foster's hiring has influenced some to stay with UCLA, including running back TJ Harden.

It's still early in Foster's tenure — he's been head coach for less than four days — but Foster appears to be making the right moves and is off to a strong start.