The Deshaun Foster experiment at UCLA is over.
The Bruins fired their second-year coach on Sunday, Sept. 14, two days after they took a 35-10 drubbing of New Mexico at home to start the season with three consecutive losses, two of which came against Group of Five opponents.
UCLA will owe Foster approximately $6 million in a buyout for terminating his contract without cause. Special assistant Tim Skipper will serve as the interim coach for UCLA.
‘Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,’ Foster said in a statement. ‘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.’
It’s a move that was expected with the disastrous start to the season for Foster. After he went a middling 5-7 in his first season as UCLA played its first campaign in the Big Ten, Foster’s team was expected to be drastically improved with the arrival of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Instead, the Bruins have struggled mightily. They were blown out by Utah in the season opener by 33 points and then lost to UNLV in Week 2. In Week 3, UCLA played New Mexico at home in what was viewed as the easiest game on its schedule, but the Lobos dominated the Bruins with a 25-point victory to push UCLA to 0-3 for the first time since 2019.
In three games, UCLA hasn’t led at all and averaged 16.5 points per game, tied for 115th in FBS out of 133 teams, and the 36.5 points allowed per games is ranked 120th. Its offense is ranked 101st in the country and defense is 111th.
The Bruins have been struggling to maintain relevance in a crowded Big Ten, including against crosstown rival Southern California. Attendance at the Rose Bowl has dropped more than 50% in the past decade, averaging 35,032 and 31,163 people in its two games this season, leaving much of the stadium empty and covered in tarps.
UCLA hired Foster in February 2024 after Chip Kelly abruptly left the program to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. A former running back for UCLA and longtime assistant, Foster’s hiring was a surprise given he had never been a head coach before, but the team had success at the running back position while he coached the position unit.
‘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 UCLA 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.’
Foster ends his tenure 5-10 in two seasons as coach, and the Bruins will be looking for their third head coach in four seasons.
UCLA said it will Jarmond, associate athletic director Erin Adkins and “a committee composed of accomplished sports and business executives and UCLA greats” will conduct an immediate search for a new coach.
(This story was updated with more information and to add a video.)