A year after stumbling at Big Ten media days, UCLA's DeShaun Foster is poised and confident

Los Angeles Times

3 days ago

LAS VEGAS — It's easier for everything to go according to script when you have one.
As DeShaun Foster strode across the stage inside a convention center here Thursday afternoon, the UCLA football coach clutched several pages of prepared remarks that helped him navigate a lengthy opening monologue with poise and confidence.
Poking fun at his widely mocked and memed performance from a year ago, when he delivered a short, unrehearsed address filled with awkward pauses and an uneasy smile, Foster indulged reporters in a short recap of the lowlights.
'Last year I stood up here and reminded everyone that UCLA is in L.A., which looking back might have been the most obvious geography lesson in Big Ten history,' Foster said. 'But you know what? Important things are worth stating clearly. We are in L.A., and we're proud to be in L.A. This year we're ready to show the Big Ten what L.A. football looks like when it's firing on all cylinders.'
The Bruins can only hope their turnaround on the field is as stunning as their coach's transformation on stage.
A year ago, as UCLA stumbled to a 1-5 start, 'We're in L.A.' became a catchphrase freely wielded to ridicule a team that often looked as lost as its coach had while delivering his opening remarks inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Rather than run from his troubles, Foster barreled ahead like a running back who found an opening in a wall of defenders. The rookie coach found his footing with a team that won four of its last six games, narrowly missing an opportunity to play in a bowl game.
His offseason was even more impressive. Foster overhauled his staff (only two assistants from last season remain) and redoubled his recruiting efforts, leading to a 2026 high school class ranked No. 21 nationally by 247Sports.com. Landing Nico Iamaleava from the transfer portal after the quarterback's spring of discontent at Tennessee generated immediate buzz.
'We're just excited to have a playoff quarterback, somebody that was able to lead his team to the playoffs,' Foster said. 'They might not have gotten the outcome that they wanted, but he still was able to play. He showed how tough he was in that game. Just being able to come back home and be comfortable and being in a familiar environment, I think the sky is the limit. We're excited about this.'
While Iamaleava's arrival isn't expected to vault the Bruins into contention for the Big Ten title, much less the College Football Playoff — UCLA was picked to finish 15th in the 18-team conference by a media poll conducted by Cleveland.com — there is recent precedent for teams taking a big leap in their coach's second season.
Colorado finished 9-4 last season after going 4-8 in Deion Sanders' debut season and Arizona State went 11-3 and made the CFP one year after going 3-9 in Kenny Dillingham's first season. Foster said he hoped this season went as well as his second in the NFL, when he helped the Carolina Panthers reach the Super Bowl.
Questions abound, particularly on a defense that loses every key playmaker, as the Bruins prepare to open training camp in Costa Mesa on Wednesday. The team will practice off campus for the first time since training in San Bernardino in 2016 because of the installation of a grass field outside the Wasserman Center.
Some changes around the program feel more than cosmetic. UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said that Foster's willingness to make wholesale changes on his coaching staff after just one season and the associated recruiting surge are signs that this is a program on the rise.
'He's just brought a vibe back, a buzz and energy about UCLA football that we haven't had since I've been here, quite honestly,' Jarmond said. 'And that's what you want to see.'
A few hours before Foster took a few sips of water and dabbed his head with a handkerchief before ascending stairs to the podium inside the Mandalay Bay, his boss predicted that he would have a better showing than he did last year.
'I think he's just more comfortable,' Jarmond said. 'You know, everybody is new at something and you don't nail the landing every first time. And so, thankfully you're not graded on what you say; you're graded on, how you perform and how you lead, and that's what he's done exceptionally well. I mean, the last half of the season, we finished 4-2 — the momentum he had going into the second half of the year and then the recruiting, that's what matters, what you're doing with the program.
'So I think he's excited about today. I think he's going to feel more comfortable because he's done it before. And that's just part of the deal. But he's going to be himself and he's going to be great.'
Foster said his verbal stumbles from a year ago taught him a valuable lesson.
'Authenticity resonates more deeply than perfection,' he said. 'Our players saw me being human, and it brought us closer together. We've been joking about it for about a year now. The players know that that same genuine approach is how we coach, recruit and build this program.'
Entering his second season, Foster said he expected significant improvement not just from his team but also from himself.
'Growth is part of the process, and we're all committed to being better than we were last season,' Foster said. 'I know there are questions about our progress, expectations and how well we're performing in this conference. That's totally fair. We're here to earn respect, not demand it. However, I can tell you this: My team is ready. They're confident. They're prepared, and they're hungry to show up and show out and redefine what UCLA football can be. So, yes, we're still in L.A. We're proud to be Bruins, and we're ready to make it happen starting now.'
And with that, Foster announced that he was happy to take any questions, having answered a big one about himself.