Pete Thamel calls DeShaun Foster a 'Dabo Swinney hire'

After head coach Chip Kelly elected to vacate his position and become the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the UCLA Bruins acted quickly, hiring DeShaun Foster as the program’s next head coach.

From the outside looking in, there are plenty of reasons to like the Bruins’ move to bring in Foster. But according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, there were some factors that loomed more significant than others, as he recently explained during an appearance on the College GameDay Podcast.

“Chip Kelly just wants to go call plays; he’s taking a $4 million pay cut, and he’s got some pretty good players to call plays with. That led to DeShaun Foster being hired at UCLA, which is an interesting hire,” said Thamel.

“It’s sort of like a Dabo Swinney hire. They want a leader of men who can be a CEO of the organization and really energized Los Angeles in terms of NIL and energized Los Angeles in terms of recruiting. And it’ll be interesting pushing forward. DeShaun Foster’s had running backs drafted in four consecutive drafts. So, I think we can see where UCLA’s identity will go.”

In this college football era, head coaching is less about the Xs and Os and more about all of the intricacies off the field. And with Foster’s knowledge of both the collegiate and NFL level, he stands well-suited to help UCLA thrive in the new college sports landscape. However, only time will tell if he is as successful or more than that of Swinney at Clemson.

Foster explains recruiting pitch for UCLA

Many in the UCLA community got their wish regarding the newest head coach of the football program and former running back DeShaun Foster. Although Foster is not a native of Los Angeles, CA, he did play in the area at the high school level before joining the Bruins program.

With that being said, the UCLA head coach might have an inside track when it comes to recruiting local talent. But when it comes to recruiting, how a coach pitches their program is essential. And during his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Foster revealed how he plans on pitching Bruins football to possible recruits.

“For recruits, most of the running back recruits out of the nation know how I am,” said Foster. “But just for people outside of that, this is a family atmosphere, you know. You’re gonna get developed to be a professional. Josh Kelly’s here, right there. That’s somebody that I developed. He’s a great back; I was able to develop him [and] he’s in the NFL. So, that’s our thing. I tell my players, Meek Mill [said] they’re chasing dreams; we’re catching them. We’re dream catchers. That’s what we’re doing.”

While playing big in the UCLA footprint will be a huge part of Foster’s recruiting plan, it is not the only plan. The Bruins are a national brand despite not necessarily living up to those expectations in recent memory. And Foster wants to remind the nation of that and plans on recruiting the best, regardless of their location.