ESPN analyst grades UCLA's hire of DeShaun Foster
UCLA officially hired DeShaun Foster as its next head coach on Monday.
Foster, a former Bruin himself, will take over for the departed Chip Kelly, who is now set to serve as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator in 2024. After the hire was made official, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg graded the move — as he has for every other Power-5 head coaching hire so far this offseason.
Rittenberg gave the Foster hire a B, citing both his lack of head-coaching experience as well as the “energy and enthusiasm” that Foster will bring to this post. Rittenberg also noted that UCLA was operating with a limited hiring pool given the timing of Kelly’s exit.
Here’s Rittenberg’s analysis on the hire:
Foster is a first-time head coach taking over UCLA at a very challenging but exciting time. Like the program itself, Foster likely will go through some bumps as he grows into the role, especially as UCLA acclimates to a new league. But he brings an energy and enthusiasm the Bruins sorely need after Kelly, and the team’s personnel outlook also should improve under his watch. Under the circumstances, UCLA made a solid hire without the benefit of a truly full candidate pool.
Foster was UCLA’s running backs coach from 2017-23. His hire was very popular amongst the active players on the team.
Foster was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. He was a talented running back for the Bruins and went on to have a 7-year career in the NFL before beginning his coaching journey.