UCLA Football: DeShaun Foster Considers Bruins Gig 'Where I'm Supposed To Be'

The perfect fit at head coach.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

When former UCLA football head coach Chip Kelly left to become the offensive coordinator for Ohio State this offseason, the Bruins were put into a tough spot. Kelly departed late in the offseason and after the first transfer portal window had closed. UCLA had to act quickly and it did — making former running backs coach DeShaun Foster the new head coach.

Foster revealed during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show that when Kelly left, he was reached out to as a candidate for the position. He interviewed over Zoom before doing a couple in-person interviews and ultimately getting the gig.

Foster wasn't necessarily the conventional pick. He had yet to serve as an offensive or defensive coordinator at the collegiate or NFL level. He had also just been hired as the Las Vegas Raiders running backs coach when Kelly left.

All in all though, this unexpected process has worked out for Foster. Foster told Eisen that this job is "where I'm supposed to be."

How did a kid from Tustin High School end up the head coach at @UCLAFootball?

Love this kinda stuff with @DeShaunFoster26 today:#GoBruins #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/6iSw2N9ECp

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) May 8, 2024

As a former star Bruin himself, this wasn't just any head coaching job for Foster. Foster was a UCLA running back from 1998-2001, where he made himself known as one of the top backs in the country. Foster rushed for back-to-back 1,000-yard and double-digit touchdown seasons in his final two years at UCLA before becoming an early second-round NFL Draft pick.

Following his NFL playing career, he returned to UCLA as an assistant coach before becoming the team's running back coach. He's spent all but one year coaching for the Bruins, meaning practically his entire college playing and coaching career have come at UCLA. This makes Foster a special hire for UCLA, and a true Bruin at that.

Foster sees the role the same way, and does not take for granted the opportunity to coach for his alma mater. "UCLA's a special place. And I think it takes Bruins to understand how special it is," Foster told Eisen.

If all goes accordingly, Foster wants to keep this job for a long time. He'll of course have to win and turn this program around to do so, but he certainly has the right attitude and approach to the job at this point.

"This isn't a stepping stone," Foster added. "This isn't, 'I'm using this to get this job.' If I do this right, I should be here the next 20 years."

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