UCLA Football: DeShaun Foster Unpacks Difference Between Being Head Coach and Position Coach

Ricardo Sandoval | Jul 28, 2024

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

The UCLA Bruins are on the brink of a pivotal 2024 season, their first in the esteemed Big Ten conference. This season also marks the debut of DeShaun Foster as the head coach, adding an extra layer of anticipation and excitement.

Foster was hired in Feb. and will be tasked with changing this program around. It's been stuck for a while, and the Bruins gave Foster the key to get them unstuck. That will be a tall task, and it won't happen overnight, but with the right people in place, UCLA could be a special place for football. 

After over a decade as a position coach, Foster will get his first crack at the helm. It's a whole new ball game for Foster, who elaborated on the difference between being a head coach and a position coach during Big Ten media day. 

"In all aspects," said Foster. "When you're a position coach, you're kind of locked in on your position a little bit, and then I took pride in that, so I really was locked in on my guys, and now that I have the whole team, I just like that because I get to touch more people. When I was a running back coach, I could only really get my hands on the offense, but now that I'm the head coach, I can talk to, I get to be involved, and I'm just able to touch guys on a bigger scale." 

The 44-year-old head coach has found some success as a position coach, and the goal now is to find some success as a head coach. Before being a coach, he was a Bruin, setting multiple records, including rushing yards for a freshman, and was named an All-American after rushing for 1,109 yards with 12 touchdowns in his senior year. 

Now, as he is looked upon as the leader of his alma mater, Foster will look for the same success he endured as a Bruin.  

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