Five things new coach DeShaun Foster must do to win at UCLA
The handshakes, back slaps and congratulatory text messages are over.
It’s time for DeShaun Foster to get to work.
The passion the former UCLA star running back unveiled in his introduction as the Bruins coach is admirable but goes only so far. While it may put butts in seats at the Rose Bowl in 2024, it won’t keep them there unless the Bruins start winning in a big way.
Foster needs to show that he has the smarts to hire a great staff and run a top program, even if it’s as a CEO who lets his coordinators do the bulk of the scheming.
Former UCLA star DeShaun Foster has his work cut out for him as the Bruins' new head coach. Here are some thoughts on how he should build his brand. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)More
The handshakes, back slaps and congratulatory text messages are over.
It’s time for DeShaun Foster to get to work.
The passion the former UCLA star running back unveiled in his introduction as the Bruins coach is admirable but goes only so far. While it may put butts in seats at the Rose Bowl in 2024, it won’t keep them there unless the Bruins start winning in a big way.
Foster needs to show that he has the smarts to hire a great staff and run a top program, even if it’s as a CEO who lets his coordinators do the bulk of the scheming.
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His ability to hire the right offensive coordinator — his No. 1 priority — will be the first significant sign as to how this era will go.
Here are five things Foster must do to be a success:
Hire the right assistants
More than anything else, Foster must assemble the best staff because it will dictate everything else — recruiting, schemes and player development.
Tears about how much you love being a Bruin won’t help if you don’t have the talent and can’t make your players better than their Big Ten counterparts.
Foster has said he wants his offensive coordinator to share his football DNA, but it’s still unclear what that is beyond Foster’s ability to run over, around and through players when he was a Bruin.
