Foster to coach UCLA

UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond said to give him 96 hours to find a new football coach after Chip Kelly resigned on Friday. It turns out, Jarmond needed less than 72. Former UCLA great DeShaun Foster was named head coach Monday to take over the program after Kelly left to become offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Foster has been a Bruins assistant the past seven years but left last month to become the Las Vegas Raiders’ running backs coach. “This is a dream come true,” Foster said in a statement. “I always envisioned being a Bruin ever since I was young, and now being the head coach at my alma mater is such a surreal feeling, and I’m grateful for this opportunity.” It will be Foster’s first head coaching job after 11 years of being an assistant in college, including 10 at UCLA. He was the running backs coach at Texas Tech in 2016. Foster was promoted to associate head coach last season as well as coaching running backs. In 2022, he was a nominee for the Broyles Award, presented annually to college football’s top assistant. Foster’s return comes two months before the Bruins begin spring practice as they prepare to join the Big Ten Conference. It could also help mitigate a large exodus of the roster since players have a 30-day period to enter the transfer portal after a coaching change. Foster was also the Bruins running back the last time they won the Pac-12 and went to the Rose Bowl in 1998. He remains second in school history in touchdowns (44) and third in rushing yards (3,194).