UCLA Player Defends DeShaun Foster After Firing

DeShaun Foster, above all, was a players' coach.

It's the reason he held onto the UCLA Bruins locker room after starting last season 1-5. And it's the reason why, despite starting this season 0-3, many of his players continue to cling on every word.

ucl — Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster talks to Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

After Foster was relieved of his duties as Westwood's head football coach, Bruins offensive tackle Reuben Unjie came to his defense publicly.

The redshirt senior right tackle took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his support for the former head coach, saying, "As a player this (our record)is on us the coaches can only do so much we have to make the plays and will make the plays!! [Foster] has done nothing but try to put us in the right position to make plays on and off the field! I'll ride with him any day !! The realest!!"

As a player this (our record) is on us the coaches can only do so much we have to make the plays and will make plays!! @DeShaunFoster26 has done nothing but try and put us in the right position to make plays on and off the field ! ! I’ll ride with him any day !! The realest!!
— REÜ (@RUnije) September 14, 2025

He then later added another post, saying, "I have to be better ! Play makers are supposed to make plays."

As a player this (our record) is on us the coaches can only do so much we have to make the plays and will make plays!! @DeShaunFoster26 has done nothing but try and put us in the right position to make plays on and off the field ! ! I’ll ride with him any day !! The realest!!
— REÜ (@RUnije) September 14, 2025

Unije, despite being the only one to publicly defend Foster after the firing, isn't the only Bruin who defended the second-year coach after their devastating 0-3 start.

Following a depleting 35-10 loss to Jason Eck and the New Mexico Lobos on Friday, UCLA star quarterback Nico Iamaleava had Foster's back no matter what.

“I totally believe in Coach Foster," Iamaleava said following the loss. "He gives me so much belief to get in the building and go to work. He gives me that ‘want’ to go out there and practice, and practice hard. We’re doing him a disservice by not performing for him. He’s telling us everything we need to hear, he’s telling us everything we need to do, and we’re not executing as players. It all falls back on the players.

ucl — Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) warms up before the game against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

"Coach Foster’s done a great job, Coach Tino [Sunseri], and Coach Ikaika [Malloe] have all put us in great positions to win a game and we haven’t done that successfully.”

Defensive captain Gary Smith III echoed Iamaleava's sentiment after Friday's loss, saying, "I believe in him one hundred percent. He never really lied to us or anything like that. We just got to keep our trust in him. There are a lot of thing we have to clean up, but I wouldn’t point the finger at Coach Foster. Coach Foster is a great guy, great coach, and he’s done it at the best level. There are things we have to clean up as far as penalties and we’re going get that done. We have to get that done.”

UCLA players now have to look forward to a new era and likely lost season following Foster's departure. Following a bye week this week, the Bruins open conference play against Northwestern on Sept. 27.

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