UCLA Football: Setting Reasonable Expectations for DeShaun Foster's First Year as Head Coach

Can the former running backs head coach lead the Bruins back to relevance?

Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster walks to the media podium during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Can former UCLA standout running back-turned-running backs coach-turned head coach DeShaun Foster lead the Bruins back to relevance in 2024?

That's one of the top questions plaguing Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times — specifically, Bolch wonders just what success would even look like for Foster this fall.

Bolch salutes Foster for refusing to project a win total that would satisfy him, during his Big Ten conference media day press conference last week. Bolch notes that this essentially gives Foster ample "wiggle room" to essentially qualify any result as a success.

So what number would placate Bolch? Keep in mind, last year's iteration went 8-5 and won its LA Bowl meeting with the Boise State Broncos. This middling run would prove to be the team's final season under now-Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coach Chip Kelly, who left after yet another disappointing recruiting period, which left Foster scrambling to bring on new additions and reshape his defense.

"Six wins and above — resulting in a bowl game — should be universally hailed as a wild achievement given Foster’s whirlwind hiring in mid-February and the heavy personnel losses on defense," Bolch opines. "Four or five wins while showing promise amid a strong finish to the season — including a victory over USC on Nov. 23 at the Rose Bowl — should satisfy fans and the recruits that Foster will need to compete at a high level in the Big Ten."

For Bolch, there is a line beneath which constitutes veritable failure.

"Three wins or fewer, well, yikes. While some might consider this a write-off season for Foster given the circumstances and UCLA’s most challenging schedule since predecessor Chip Kelly’s debut in 2018, it’s going to be hard to generate any buzz with victories over, say, Hawaii, Indiana and Minnesota offset by three times as many losses," Bolch writes.

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