Josh Woods Weighs In On UCLA's Decision To Sign DeShaun Foster As New HC

After longtime UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly decided to abruptly quit the program and essentially take a demotion to serve as the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, athletic director Martin Jarmond wasted no time in searching for a replacement.

Kelly departed the gig with a cumulative 35-34 record and three bowl game appearances.

Ultimately, Kelly finished his Bruins run with a 35-22 victory over the Boise State Broncos during the 2023 LA Bowl in SoFi Stadium. His final UCLA squad notched a good-but-not-great 8-5 record.

To replace Kelly, Jarmond eventually hired Kelly's former running backs coach, DeShaun Foster, who was an All-American at the position from 1998-2001.

During a fresh conversation between James H. Williams and Josh Woods of Bleav In UCLA, Woods weighed in on the fit of Foster and projected how he'll perform with a relatively unliked recruiting class. 

"When people are asking if I want an offensive or defensive coordinator as my head coach... Foster fits," Woods said. "He's going to be a thermostat. He's going to set the temperature in the energy for the team."

"That's the guy that you want to... run through a wall for. And he's going to make sure that energy is straight with the whole team. He's not going to be overbearing," Woods opined. "And usually you see that one guy, when head coaches are OCD addicts, they get so involved with that type of football and it kind of ends up being my way or the highway approach.

"And Coach Foster is right in the middle," Woods continued. "He's for the players, but he also has the structure. And like you said, like he wants to have fun again. You know what I'm saying? And I think this is between the previous coaches. I believe Coach Foster is right in the middle and exactly what the program needs.

"And clearly, like you said, [Foster's hire is] what the kids want," Woods added. "And I think that's one of the biggest things as far as like when you're getting recruits to come in and you want players to stay. Having a coach like that is really important because it's like that's somebody I want to play for. I know somebody who's invested in me and you've seen all the passion and emotion like that is real."

With Kelly gone and Foster in place, UCLA can now turn to once again prioritizing its drama on the field at last.