LOS ANGELES — UCLA has fired head football coach DeShaun Foster less than two seasons into his tenure, the school announced Sunday. Tim Skipper will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Foster, a former Bruins star running back and UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer, was named head coach on Feb. 12, 2024 after Chip Kelly's departure for Ohio State. He compiled a 5-10 overall record, including four wins in the final six games of the 2024 season. However, the Bruins got off to a tough start this season, opening 0-3 including a shocking 35-10 loss to New Mexico on Friday in which they entered as double-digit favorites.
“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to DeShaun for his contributions to UCLA Football over the course of many years, first as a Hall of Fame student-athlete, then as an assistant coach and finally as head coach,” said Athletic Director Martin Jarmond. “He was named to this role at a challenging time of year, on the cusp of a move to a new conference, and he embraced it, putting his heart into moving the program forward. His legacy and love for this university are firmly established. He is a Bruin for life, and we wish him, his wife, Charity, and their family the best.”
Last season, the Bruins finished ranked 126 in total offense, scoring an average of 18.4 points per game with 242 yards and 69th defenisvely, giving up an average of 25.3 points per game with 244.7 yards. Foster made adjustments to his coaching staff over the offseason by hiring Tino Sunseri to take over as offensive coordinator and also landed former five-star recruit and Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava last April.
This season, the Bruins rank 100th in total offense, averaging 324.7 yards per game and 116th in total defense, allowing opponents to have 431 yards per game and 6.60 yards per play.
The Bruins have been one of the most penalized teams in the nation, leading college football in most penalties called (134) by already giving up 30 penalties. They also rank just behind UNLV for most penalty yards given up (275). In week 2, the Bruins traveled to UNLV and lost 30-23.
Following the loss to New Mexico, Foster was asked outright if he still felt that he was the right coach to lead the program.
"Most definitely," Foster said. "I can get these boys to play."
Foster had been part of UCLA’s coaching staff for 10 seasons before being elevated to head coach, serving most recently as associate head coach and running backs coach. An All-American in 2001, Foster rushed for more than 3,000 yards during his college career before playing seven seasons in the NFL, scoring a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXVIII with the Carolina Panthers. He was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.
In a statement, Foster said serving as UCLA’s head coach was “the honor of a lifetime.”
“While I am deeply disappointed that we were unable to achieve the success that our players, fans, and university deserve, I am grateful for the opportunity to have led this program,” Foster said. “To our student-athletes: you have been the heart of this program. Your dedication, resilience, and character — both on the field and in the classroom — have been inspiring. Even in our most challenging moments, you stayed united and gave everything you had for your teammates and this university. You embody what it means to be a Bruin.”
The school said it will honor the terms of Foster’s contract using department-generated funds. A national search for a permanent head coach will begin immediately, with Jarmond and Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director Erin Adkins leading the process alongside a committee of alumni and business leaders.
Skipper, who served as UCLA’s special assistant to the head coach, previously held interim head coaching duties at Fresno State in 2023 and 2024, compiling a 7-7 record that included a New Mexico Bowl victory. His career also includes stints as defensive coordinator at UNLV and assistant coaching roles at Colorado State, Central Michigan, Florida, and Fresno State.
“Once a Bruin, always a Bruin,” Foster said in closing. “This program, with its rich tradition, will return to prominence.”