UCLA fired head coach DeShaun Foster after an 0-3 start to his second season leading his alma mater, the school announced Sunday. Foster leaves Westwood as the shortest-tenured full-time head coach in school history.

Losses to Utah, UNLV and then New Mexico, 35-10 in front of a sparse crowd Friday at the Rose Bowl, intensified questions about Foster’s future. The Bruins have looked overmatched in all three games, with conference play still ahead, and prompted ridicule from media, the Pac-12, their former conference, and even the Big Sky Conference. Tim Skipper, who was special assistant to the head coach, will serve as interim coach.

Foster compiled a 5-10 record after being promoted in February 2024 to replace Chip Kelly. He departs the program he starred for as a running back from 1998 to 2001, later returned as a longtime running backs coach and ultimately served as head coach for less than two seasons.

Pressed after the loss to New Mexico on whether he remained the right man to lead the Bruins, Foster responded, “most definitely.” Why? “Because I can get these boys to play.” He took the blame for the loss and said he looked forward to getting things right ahead of the Sept. 27 Big Ten opener against Northwestern.

But with UCLA outscored by a Football Bowl Subdivision-worst margin of 108-43 through its first three matchups and little indication things could improve, athletic director Martin Jarmond fired Foster, whose contract ran through 2028. Since Foster was terminated before Dec. 1, UCLA owes him 70 percent of his remaining deal, an estimated $7.8 million. Compared with other Big Ten programs, that figure is manageable. For example, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule’s deal carries a buyout of about $56.2 million. UCLA said it will cover Foster’s buyout entirely from its athletic budget.

“Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,” Foster said in a statement. ‘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.”

Foster, 45, was promoted after Kelly left after six seasons and a 35-34 record to assume offensive coordinator duties at Ohio State. At the time, UCLA billed Foster’s acquisition as an investment in continuity, elevating a longtime position coach despite his lack of coordinator experience.

The hire was celebrated as a homecoming story, but drew scrutiny from the outset, with many viewing it as a gamble in UCLA’s Big Ten transition year. Foster’s salary of around $3 million a year ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten. Foster appeared unprepared for the job when he flubbed his opening statement at the 2024 Big Ten media days and said he didn’t know how to address reporters after his opening game. UCLA went 5-7 in his first season, closing the season on a 4-2 run, but the momentum did not carry over.

“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to DeShaun for his contributions to UCLA Football over the course of many years, first as a Hall of Fame student-athlete, then as an assistant coach and finally as head coach,” said Jarmond in a school release. “He was named to this role at a challenging time of year, on the cusp of a move to a new conference, and he embraced it, putting his heart into moving the program forward.”

Skipper has recent experience as an interim coach, leading Fresno State in that role last season, with the Bulldogs going 6-7. He’s a former defensive coordinator at UNLV and also coached running backs and linebackers at Florida, among other stops.

UCLA has yet to hold a lead in 2025, conceding 286 rushing yards in its opener against the Utes and nearly 300 to the Lobos. Foster’s mantra through his time in Westwood was “D.R.E.” — discipline, respect and enthusiasm — yet discipline has proved elusive. The Bruins committed 14 penalties for 129 yards against UNLV and 13 for 116 yards against New Mexico.

UCLA landed five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava from Tennessee this spring — among nearly 60 newcomers to the roster — but the offense has sputtered, ranking 101st in the FBS in total offense. On defense, thin depth and inexperience left the Bruins exposed against more physical opponents, and they rank 111th in the FBS in total defense.

With the Bruins still fewer than five games into their season, UCLA players are eligible to either redshirt or enter a 30-day transfer portal window — though none can play elsewhere this season. Recruiting offered another early symptom of Foster’s fallout, with defensive linemen Yahya Gaad and Anthony Jones and four-star offensive tackle Johnnie Jones all decommitting from UCLA’s 34th-ranked 2026 class, according to 247Sports.

Potential names to watch for the role are Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White (a UCLA alum), Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, New Mexico head coach Jason Eck, USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn (former UCLA DC) and Fresno State head coach Matt Entz.

(Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)