The UCLA Bruins could not have asked for a worse start to the 2025 season: The team is 0-3, having been outscored 108-43 in games against Utah, UNLV and New Mexico. With a new quarterback at the helm in Nico Iamaleava, the Bruins have still been unable to pick up victories.
As the Bruins enter conference play, the seat is warming for head coach DeShaun Foster, who is in his second year in Los Angeles. If UCLA is not able to rebound in the Big Ten, the team might be looking for a different person to lead the program.
Here’s a look at Foster’s contract if the Bruins decide to move on.
Will UCLA fire DeShaun Foster?
Currently, it remains unclear whether UCLA will move on from Foster, but the 2025 season has not been kind to the Bruins.
In his first season with UCLA, Foster led the team to a 5-7 record, including 3-6 in the Big Ten. This year, the Bruins have opened with a three-game losing streak.
With Friday night's 35-10 loss to New Mexico, UCLA and new quarterback Nico Iamaleava are now (0-3) to start the season.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 13, 2025
Is it fair to ask if the Bruins will win a game? pic.twitter.com/FYyF7hWNlt
If there isn't success soon, there will be some potential changes in the coaching ranks.
How much is DeShaun Foster's buyout?
According to On3’s Brett McMurphy, Foster’s buyout is $5.27 million and drops to $3.35 million if UCLA waits until next year.
If the Bruins move on before Dec. 1, the school owes 70% of Foster’s remaining salary. If they wait until after, it decreases to 60%.
Foster signed a five-year, $15 million contract with UCLA in February 2024, earning $3 million in his first year with $100,000 annual raises, totaling $3.4 million in the final year. The deal also includes a hiring bonus, retention bonus and performance incentives.
Who are potential coaching replacements for DeShaun Foster at UCLA?
There are no indications UCLA has looked to move on from Foster, but when former head coach Chip Kelly left for the Ohio State offensive coordinator job in 2023, notable candidates for the opening included Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck, Stanford’s David Shaw, Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White and former Chiefs and UCLA offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
The Bruins opted to stay in house in 2024, hiring Foster — the team’s running backs coach from 2017 to 2023 — who also played his college ball at UCLA.
DeShaun Foster coaching career
This is Foster's first head coaching job, and he has spent the majority of his coaching career in Los Angeles. He started as a volunteer assistant in 2012, then became a graduate assistant in 2013.In 2015, he became the program's director of player development and high school relations.
Foster was hired by Texas Tech in 2016 to be the program's running backs coach, but it was short-lived, as he was only in Lubbock for one season. He was hired again by UCLA in 2017 to be the running backs coach, a role he held until 2023.
When Kelly left for Ohio State, Foster became the 19th head coach in program history.