DeShaun Foster will give UCLA football new energy, but energy won’t be enough to succeed

Energy is good, but UCLA’s new coach has to find defensive coaching on par with what D’Anton Lynn provided in 2023.

DeShaun Foster being named the new UCLA football head coach was not especially surprising or seismic. The move was expected by many, and yet it certainly doesn’t rate as a huge splash for the Bruins.

Foster, 44, played at UCLA from 1998-2001 and had 1,109 rushing yards and 12 TDs as a senior. He scored 39 TDs over four seasons and finished with 686 carries for 3,049 yards.

He was taken in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers. He played in 79 games across six NFL seasons. In his NFL career, Foster rushed 927 times for 3,570 yards and also had 142 catches for 1,129 yards.

He got his start coaching college football as a student assistant at UCLA and spent a season at Texas Tech in 2016 as the team’s running backs coach before returning to his alma mater.

Foster impressed the UCLA administration with his ability to lead and command a room. Per sources, school officials believe Foster can resonate in the Los Angeles market and emphasize recruiting and fundraising and NIL deals.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Foster’s contract is for five years as the Bruins get set to play in the Big Ten.

The word “energy” has been a theme upon Foster’s hire. Energy, though, must be supplemented by coaching acumen and an ability to do more with less. Losing D’Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator will hurt Foster in his ability to elevate the UCLA program.

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