Running It Back
DeShaun Foster’s ’14 career is a highlight reel of standout moments and game-changing accomplishments.
- Pac-10 Champion
- All-American
- NFC Champion
- Sixth longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history
- UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame inductee
- California High School Hall of Fame inductee
His most recent feat: Head Coach for the UCLA Bruins.
On Feb. 12, 2024, Foster was named the 19th head coach of his alma mater, ushering in a new era of UCLA Football. Since then, Foster has been tirelessly preparing the Bruins under the three pillars he lives by.
“If you turn on the T.V., discipline, respect and enthusiasm are things you should see us producing,” said Foster. “If you come around the weight room, that’s what you should be able to see. If you see our guys in classes, that’s what you should see. If you see them in their dorms or apartments, that’s what you should be able to see. You should see discipline, respect and enthusiasm from our kids and staff in all facets.”
Foster, of course, is no stranger to Westwood.
As a student, the Bruin running back capped off his prolific playing career ranked second among UCLA players in touchdowns (44), third in rushing yards (3,194) and fifth in scoring (266 points). In his senior year, Foster led the Pac-10 in rushing with 138.6 yards per game; he helped lead the Bruins to a Pac-10 Championship title in 1998. He was named an All-American in 2001.
In 2002, the Carolina Panthers drafted Foster in the second round of the NFL Draft. Two years later, Foster and the Panthers won the NFC and punched their ticket to Super Bowl XXXVIII where he produced the sixth-longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history. After four seasons with the Panthers, Foster joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2008, where he would go on to conclude his professional playing career.
"At one point, everything in my life was associated with UCLA and Westwood, and now, I get to continue to invest in these players and build a culture of discipline, respect and enthusiasm."
Foster joined the staff of the Bruins’ football program in 2012 as a student assistant. He was named a graduate assistant in 2014 (the same year he came back and finished his bachelor of arts in history degree) and served as the director of player development and high school relations in 2015. He had a brief stint in 2016 with Texas Tech as their running back coach, and returned to Westwood in 2017, where he assumed the team’s running back coach position. Foster was named associate head coach in 2023 and became head coach last February.
Having experienced success on all levels, Foster now looks to invest his knowledge in future generations of Bruins.
“I’ve made it to places where many of these players want to go, and now I can let them know that it's possible to compete on a high level while competing in the classroom at a high academic school,” said Foster. “I’ve sat in these seats. I went to school here. I played sports here. I lived in the Village. Ate in the Village. At one point, everything in my life was associated with UCLA and Westwood, and now, I get to continue to invest in these players and build a culture of discipline, respect and enthusiasm.”
Additionally, Foster is determined to resurrect the Bruins’ rich history of tradition – much of which he experienced as a student.
On April 27, the Bruins held the annual Spring Game at the Rose Bowl, something the program had not done since 2015. Dubbed the “Spring Showcase,” the event gave the crowd of 10,000-plus Bruin faithful a glimpse of the 2024 roster and a chance to collect autographs from current players and coaches afterward. Also, fans were treated to the return of another beloved tradition: the Bruin Walk.
Not to be confused with the main thoroughfare on campus, the Bruin Walk is when UCLA players and coaches get off their buses and enter the Rose Bowl, providing UCLA fans the opportunity to cheer on and support the Bruins before they play.
“The Bruin Walk is a big part of UCLA Football history,” said Foster. “It gets players excited. You see the fans tailgating and turning up for the game and you don’t want to let them down. When I was coming to games back in the early 1990s, I always made sure I was there early enough to see the players enter into the Rose Bowl.”
The coach is also looking to implement new traditions into the program. One new tradition began on April 19 when Foster and his staff held the inaugural Friday Night Lights, a festival-like setting where fans could watch an evening spring football practice and partake in games, food trucks and live performances.
As Foster breathes new life into the program, he believes these efforts will also help attract recruits.
“We’re looking for players that are resilient, don't shy away from hard work and are natural leaders,” said Foster on recruiting. “We're truly looking for good people who just happen to be good at football.”
Confident, but humble, Foster knows that while implementing traditions and pillars is crucial to the success of the program, he ultimately can’t revitalize the program on his own.
“Alumni involvement is critical for our program,” he said. “Like myself, they’ve done it all. They’ve sat here, had midterms and finals, played in games and balanced life, so to have them involved and share their experience and knowledge with our players about life on and off the field is huge. I want to help bridge the gaps.”
One practical way Foster emphasized alumni involvement would be to invest in giving career advice and opportunities to current players.
“Some of these guys have aspirations to be in various business fields, and if there are alumni out there that could help give wisdom and access, that would be great. A lot of our guys don’t have time for internships that a college student would normally take on during the summer due to football practice, so being able to help them get career exposure would help them with life after football.”
Of course, alumni are also welcome to contribute resources for the success of the program.
“NIL is a big part of the game today, and I think we’re moving in the right direction. We’ve been doing a lot with Men of Westwood, which is a great opportunity for alumni and fans to support not just the football team, but all the student-athletes at UCLA.”
But most importantly, Foster wants the Bruin community to support the team by showing up this fall.
“Be around and come out to our games,” said Foster. “Sometimes, showing up to our games, whether at home in the Rose Bowl or wherever we are on the road is more valuable than donating money. I like our team this season and we’re excited to compete.”
“I was always taught to run to the fight. We're not scared of any of the things that come with this change. It’s more exposure for our players and will help them put their best foot forward as more of the nation will be able to see our games.”
This fall, after nearly a century as a member of the conference known today as the Pac-12, the Bruins will compete in their inaugural season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. While this change will feature a brand-new slate of competitors and challenges throughout the country, the new head coach and his team aren’t afraid of the change.
“I like this opportunity,” said Foster. “I was always taught to run to the fight. We're not scared of any of the things that come with this change. It’s more exposure for our players and will help them put their best foot forward as more of the nation will be able to see our games.”
The Bruins will begin the 2024 season on Saturday, Aug. 31, at 4:30 p.m. on the road in Honolulu, Hawaii, against the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors. Two weeks later, the Bruins will compete in their home opener at the Rose Bowl against conference opponent Indiana at 4:30 p.m.
“We have some really good stuff going on over here. We’ll keep getting better and better, and when the fall comes, I think you will see a really good product on the field that you're just going to have no choice but to come out and support.”
Learn more about Coach Foster and UCLA Football here.
Recent Articles
Our Proud Partners
