This post was updated Sept. 25 at 12:21 a.m.

DeShaun Foster was not a good coach.

And it does not take deep-level analysis or expansive sports knowledge to understand that.

Just look at a stat sheet.

Foster went 5-10 as a head coach and started the 2025 campaign 0-3, giving UNLV its first win over a Big Ten team since 2003 and New Mexico its first victory over a Power Four conference team since 2008. Two of his five wins came against Hawaiʻi and Fresno State, both of which finished below .500 last season, and two of the Big Ten victories were over Rutgers and Nebraska, both of which finished with sub-.500 conference records in 2024.

As much as the Fos Era was a disastrous experiment, I do not think it was Foster’s fault. Was he supposed to say no to leading his alma mater – where he left an undeniable legacy of success – and a $15 million contract?

The problem is not that he was fired too late; it is that he should never have been hired at all.

I do not blame Foster for taking the job. His love and pride for UCLA are poignant, and there is no doubt he loved representing the Bruins.

When he was hired, he said it was the realization of a lifelong goal.

“This is a dream come true,” Foster said in a statement when he was hired. “I always envisioned being a Bruin ever since I was young, and now being the head coach at my alma mater is such a surreal feeling, and I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

Foster was picked for his intangible skillset. He is great at establishing relationships, building culture and camaraderie and attracting recruits – all of which he demonstrated.

But once Foster left the locker room and walked onto the field, his weaknesses were exposed.

He could not coach to win.

After UCLA’s embarrassing defeat to New Mexico – a game the Bruins paid $1.2 million to host – Foster said he believed he was the man for the job because he could get his guys to play.

And I do not doubt that in the slightest. The support and praise for Foster from alumni and players of the past and present is endless. But love between a coach and athletes, as important as it is, means nothing when you cannot win.

In reality, Foster was put in an impossible situation.

He was handed the keys to a declining program entering the Big Ten – a conference with more depth and difficulty than the Pac-12 – with zero prior head coaching or coordinator experience and was expected to take it to the next level.

Foster’s 5-10 record should not tarnish the legacy the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame inductee built for himself.

Rather, it reflects the person who put him in that position.

After former head coach Chip Kelly’s departure, UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond interviewed 10 other candidates – some of whom had head coaching or coordinator experience.

Yet Jarmond hired the former running back coach to lead the program.

It is very rare for a position coach to make the jump to the top at any level in football. But for some reason, Jarmond decided the Bruins would be the guinea pig.

And UCLA is going to pay the price.

In fact, the Bruins’ 2025 campaign – which could end as badly as 0-12 – may be the least of their worries. The reality is that the decision to hire Foster may have been the most destructive in Jarmond’s UCLA tenure.

Kelly’s career in Westwood was contentious enough, with many calling for his removal after years of mediocrity and disappointment. Fans and donors alike wanted and expected the Oregon Ducks Kelly, not the Philadelphia Eagles Kelly.

After his performance in Westwood, Kelly took a demotion and pay cut to join Ohio State as an offensive coordinator. That decision alone should reveal the state UCLA football was in.

And Kelly’s exit only added fuel to an uncontrollable fire within the program.

The Bruins were making the treacherous journey to the uncharted waters of the Big Ten.

A quest that promised riches, better opponents and the hopes of glory – all of which could bring better recruits and initiate a positive feedback loop of more winning and consequently more money.

But to get to that point, you have to win.

And the Bruins did not do that; in fact, they have not done it since November.

Instead of facilitating a smooth voyage into the Big Ten – one that created ample opportunity for success – Jarmond caused a shipwreck. One that could leave the Bruins at the depths of the Big Ten for years to come.

UCLA football is already struggling with fan retention and acquisition, marked by record-low attendance at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins’ home stadium is seeing turnout that does not even rival that of high school football games.

And UCLA’s low football interest has far greater implications than a deserted Rose Bowl.

UCLA Athletics has an estimated cumulative deficit of over $200 million, with 2024 representing the sixth straight year in the red – a streak that began two years before Jarmond arrived in Westwood.

In 2024 alone, UCLA ran a $51.8 million deficit, despite receiving a $30 million institutional subsidy.

It will not be long until UCLA’s abysmal football status impacts the rest of its athletic programs. And once that fire is started, it may be hard to stop.

Firing Foster treats only a symptom of the sickness plaguing UCLA football. To find the cure, the program needs a complete shakeup top to bottom.

And Foster was just second from the top.