COLUMN: Getting Honest About UCLA and DeShaun Foster

It's official, the DeShaun Foster era is over at UCLA. The Bruins legend as a player was unable to overcome the various issues presented over the offseason and as a result of his team's sloppy 0-3 start, with losses against two Mountain West opponents, he was fired on Sunday. Let's look at what happened.

My Perspective

I won't mince words, nor will I lie. If you look back at my work, I praised Foster for the steps he took and the work he was doing. I thought Foster could become the true long-term future. Obviously, that take was as successful as a 74 miles per hour heater down the middle with Shohei Ohtani on the other side.

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

It's no longer a question of if I was wrong because...brother but what went wrong and how did it all go wrong so fast?

Nico Iamaleava

The biggest move was hiring Tino Sunseri as offensive coordinator. Sunseri suffered two losses that UCLA could not overcome. Kaedin Robinson, due to transfer rules, and the loss of Joey Aguilar. When UCLA brought in Burl Toler as wide receivers coach, it's my belief that he was to help Sunseri build a spread and shred defense that Joey Aguilar was supposed to take advantage of with his legs if everything broke down.

When UCLA got Nico Iamaleava, Sunseri had to scramble to build an offense for a different quarterback. If there's one thing I was right about, it was that due to the timing and media hurricane regarding Iamaleava's departure from Tennessee, Foster's future hung in the balance of that decision.

While I doubt Aguilar could have did much better given the other issues within the program, the fact UCLA made the move to get Iamaleava set forth a course of action that led to a less succinct product.

The Reason Foster Was Fired

Here's why I believed in Foster. I thought he was doing the right things in recruiting inside out, he was reaching into the Los Angeles community, I was expecting a bigger jump in his tactical decision makinng skills, and it appeared he was building a strong coaching staff.

He was bringing in big named alumni into camp and considering the momentum he had to end last season, it appeared he was on the verge of getting UCLA rolling.

And then the truth of both the Foster era and UCLA revealed itself. They can not replace talent on a year-to-year basis with their current setup. The Bruins lost a bunch of talent on defense last season, and their current product is soft and slow.

They're getting bullied in the trenches and that's after just one offseason. However, Foster is just one part.

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins helmets during pregame warmups before playing the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

UCLA Football Isn't Built to Play in Big Ten

Whatever issues UCLA had, the Foster era made them clear. Look at Washington, USC, and Oregon. All undefeated with high-powered offenses with dual-threat quarterbacks. Even if Iamaleava was everything he was built to be, he doesn't have the roster around him to match their production.

Those three teams also have defenses who play Big Ten physical football.

However, at the end of the day, UCLA is the hardest job in the Big Ten and when push came to shove, Foster did not have the ability to roll with a continuous barrage of punches.

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