"I'm not convinced": Big Ten analyst expresses his concerns on UCLA's choice of hiring DeShaun Foster as head coach

DeShaun Foster was named the new coach of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) following the surprise exit of Chip Kelly to become Ohio State's offensive coordinator. The former Bruins served as the running back coach under Kelly and has been given the responsibility to lead the team back to glory.

However, not many are confident with his hiring due to his limited experience. Some believe Foster probably got the job due to his connection with the program as a player. Speaking on “The Big 10 Show with Adam Carriker" podcast, host Carriker expressed his concerns about the hiring of DeShaun Foster(00:06:55)

“I'm not convinced that this is a great hire and here's why: He's never been anything but a running backs coach, never been a coordinator, obviously not been a head coach. Again, I'm a big fan of him and I'm rooting for him. But I can't help but wonder if this is more of a homegrown hire than it is a good hire."

The learning curve for DeShaun Foster

With zero experience as a head coach or coordinator, there's obviously a lot to learn for Deshaun Foster as he takes over at UCLA, especially as the Bruins transition to the Big Ten in the upcoming season.

Adam Carriker believes it isn't going to be easy for the former Carolina Panthers running back. He noted that the program has an unfavorable schedule in 2024 and expressed curiosity about how much time Foster’s learning curve will take.

“It's going to be so hard going into the Big Ten and a really brutal schedule going into that new conference ... Like I said, UCLA is not a bad job talent in California. So I think there's just going to be a learning curve for DeShaun.”

“I think he's going to revitalize people. I think he will recruit well. I think he's going to, like you said, pull off some upsets. I'm curious about the learning curve, How big and how fast how long does that take?"

Big challenge in the Big Ten

DeShaun Foster has expressed his commitment to bringing back the powerhouse status of UCLA in the college football world. He has to achieve this in a much more difficult environment than the Pac-12 as the program moves to the Big Ten next season.

With the presence of the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa as well as fellow newcomers from the Pac-12, Washington, Oregon and USC, the rise of UCLA will undoubtedly be a difficult one.