UCLA announces hire of all-time great to replace Chip Kelly
UCLA didn’t waste much time to find a replacement for Chip Kelly.
DeShaun Foster will be the next head coach, UCLA announced on Monday morning, as the Bruins have settled on an all-time great. Foster is in the UCLA Hall of Fame, played 7 seasons in the NFL and has been an assistant coach since 2017. Former coach Chip Kelly left last week to be the offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
In the fall of 2022, Foster was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame and nominated for the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. Foster was previously expected to leave UCLA for a job with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Foster has 11 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 10 at his alma mater. He also coached one year at Texas Tech. Foster spent the past 7 seasons as the Bruins’ running backs coach and served as associate head coach in 2023.
Foster started his Bruin career as a running back for the team from 1998 to 2001. He then spent 6 years in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers before he came back to UCLA in 2013 as a volunteer assistant coach.
Athletics Director Martin Jarmond explained how the UCLA leadership settled on Foster.
“While undergoing a comprehensive search for our new head coach, DeShaun resonated from the start and throughout the whole process,” said Jarmond. “We are looking for a coach with integrity, energy and passion; someone who is a great teacher, who develops young men, is a great recruiter and fully embraces the NIL landscape to help our student-athletes. DeShaun checks all of those boxes and then some. He is a leader of men and a true Bruin. I am excited to partner with him as we usher UCLA Football into an exciting new era.”
A leader of young men and a true Bruin. Introducing UCLA Football Head Coach DeShaun Foster.
➡️ https://t.co/v1lb7NlDDf#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/pNPiowhyuT
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) February 12, 2024