UCLA parted ways with head coach DeShaun Foster on September 14, 2025 following a dismal 0-3 start to a season. The announcement was made just under 24 hours after the Bruins lost a humiliating game, in front of home fans, by a score of 35-10 against New Mexico. This was also the second straight loss to an opponent from the Mountain West.
Tom Fornelli, the co-host of the very popular Cover 3 college football podcast, argued that Foster was in trouble the moment he was hired. He said, he “probably never had a chance” considering the circumstances around his hiring.
“DeShaun Foster had never been a head coach anywhere. He’s been a grad assistant and a running backs coach. Now all of a sudden you’re the head coach of a Big Ten program without an offseason to prepare,” Fornelli explained.
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Fornelli suggested that if the situation is not clearly working out, it is probably time for quarterback Nico Iamaleava to consider other opportunities.
“If you’re Nico and you feel like this thing is clearly not working out like you hoped it would, this could be..I am not saying he’s going to but, this could be an opportunity to maybe jump ship,” he further elaborated.
Foster’s time started as poorly as could be in February 2024. Although he was a beloved ex-UCLA running back, he had no head coaching experience at any level. His experience was heavy on graduate assistant roles and running backs coach roles.
The switch to coaching a team like UCLA didn’t turn out well for him, as he finished with a combined record of 5-10.
Nico Iamaleava’s Early Struggles at UCLA
Nico Iamaleava’s personal statistics painted the program’s overall problems. In the three games played, the quarterback was 22 for 34, passing for one touchdown and one interception in the loss to New Mexico.
These numbers aren’t encouraging for a player who came to UCLA with so many expectations. Iamaleava was supposed to bring stability and direction to the Bruins’ offense after transferring from Tennessee.
Instead, it looks like Iamaleava is stuck in a broken system, and he could maybe even be reconsider his decision to come to UCLA, partly due to the coaching change.
After Foster’s departure, interim coach Tim Skipper, who worked previously as a special assistant at UCLA and later as the interim head coach at Fresno State, will finish out the season for the remainder of the season. It will be intriguing to see if Skipper will be able to have success turning UCLA’s season on its head.
Read More:
- “Nico Iamaleava Already Got His Head Coach Fired”: Fans React As DeShaun Foster Gets Axed Amid UCLA’s Disaster Start
- UCLA Football Recruitment Tracker: Full List Of Players Decommitting As Bruins Stare At Possible Mass Exodus Ft. Johnnie Jones
- Top 10 Hilarious Nico Iamaleava Jokes Cracking Up the Internet After Massive New Mexico-UCLA Loss
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