After a 0-3 start, the now-former UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster has been fired after just 15 games with the Bruins. In those 15 wins, he led the Bruins to just five games and is still winless this season, even though they have acquired former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava through the transfer portal.
This is just Foster’s second season as UCLA head coach, taking over the job after former head coach Chip Kelly became the offensive coordinator for UCLA. Since the winless start, the Bruins were considered laughing stocks by fans, though firing him might prove costly for UCLA.
The LA Times reported that the school still owes him $6.43 million in buyout money. He has only coached one full season plus those three losing games this season for the Bruins, which means that there is still much to go in his five-year contract.
Sources: UCLA has fired coach DeShaun Foster. He started his second season there 0-3.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 14, 2025
Since his firing, the university has confirmed that funds from the athletic department will pay his buyout. He will be temporarily replaced by special assistant coach Tim Skipper, who will now be serving as the interim head coach of the Bruins. He previously served as the interim coach of Fresno State.
During the 2025 season under Foster, opponents outscored the Bruins by a 108-43 margin. These include back-to-back losses to Mountain West Conference teams, leading to much ridicule online from fans and football analysts.
The decision to fire him came from UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond, who said he consulted with UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk before firing Foster. Jarmond noted that they fired Foster during a bye week so that players could rest and prepare ahead of their Big Ten conference opener against Northwestern on Sept. 26.
Deshaun Foster Releases Statement After Getting Let Go by UCLA
Soon after his release from his job as UCLA Bruins head coach, DeShaun Foster, a UCLA football legend, released a statement regarding his firing and apologized for disappointing so many fans of his alma mater.
“Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,” he said. “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.”
The firing of Foster has been a big blow to UCLA, not just financially, but also on the recruiting front, as six high school recruits have already decommitted. These include four-star OT Johnnie Jones, three-star DL Anthony Jones, four-star DL David Schwerzel, three-star LB Ramzak Fruean, three-star Edge Yahya Gaad, and OL Cooper Javorsky.
Related:
Days After Dad’s Comment on Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar Takes Shot at UCLA Transfer
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