UCLA Coaching Vacancy Ranked Among Top College Football Jobs

The UCLA Bruins coaching vacancy will be one of the biggest stories to monitor as the season progresses.

Two weeks removed from the dismissal of second-year head coach DeShaun Foster, UCLA is engaged in a thorough search for the program's most important hire in recent history.

Westwood isn't the center of the coaching carousel, though. Plenty of jobs have opened up through the first few weeks of the college football season, and some are more appealing than others.

The Athletic's Chris Vannini ranked the five open coaching positions among Power Five schools. Along with Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Stanford, Vannini had UCLA's gig ranked second, behind the Razorbacks.

"The idea of UCLA has long seemed better than the reality of UCLA," Vannini wrote. "The Bruins haven’t won a conference championship since 1998 and haven’t posted a 10-win season in more than a decade. Fan apathy is showing up in the attendance figures at the Rose Bowl, and the athletic department’s financial problems have been piling up — the Bruins have been operating at a cumulative deficit of over $200 million over the last five years.

"But it’s a Big Ten job in Southern California. That’s why it opens at the top of this list. The future is secure, and the recruiting upside is obvious, which is why UCLA is expected to draw the best pool of candidates among the early open jobs. That doesn’t mean all Big Ten jobs are better than all ACC or Big 12 jobs. But it means the Bruins’ ceiling and the floor should be higher, and the path to success is easy to envision.

Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster watches game action against the Utah Utes during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"The school needs a coach capable of setting up a better recruiting operation in California and exciting the fans and donors to spend for success. The expectation should be annual bowl games with periodic 10-win seasons."

UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond marks this coaching search with high priority. The search committee he put together to find the next Bruins leader was announced last week.

Search Committee for UCLA Coaching Vacancy Revealed

In a statement last Thursday, the six members (including Jarmond) were announced:

Casey Wasserman, UCLA '96, Founder and CEO, Wasserman
Bob Myers, UCLA '98, UC Regent, ESPN Basketball Analyst, Advisor, Washington Commanders
Eric Kendricks, UCLA '14, 10-year NFL Pro
Adam Peters, UCLA '02, General Manager, Washington Commanders
Erin Adkins, UCLA Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director

ucl — Sep 14, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond reacts during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I want to thank the members of the search committee who have, out of their love for UCLA, agreed to contribute their time and expertise to this process," Jarmond said. "We will identify, recruit and invest in a leader who has the vision, the confidence, the attitude, and the proven ability to return UCLA Football to national prominence, and we will provide the resources to compete and win at the highest level. That's our commitment to our alumni, fans and supporters."

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Search Committee for UCLA Coaching Vacancy Revealed

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