View source for DeShaun Foster

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1980)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = DeShaun Foster
| image = 2025-0724 - DeShaun Foster.jpg
| caption = Foster in 2025
| alt = 
| current_title = 
| current_team = 
| current_conference = 
| current_record = 
| contract = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|1|10|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], U.S.
| alma_mater = UCLA
| player_years1 = 1998–2001
| player_team1 = [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA]]
| player_years2 = 2002–2007
| player_team2 = [[Carolina Panthers]]
| player_years3 = 2008
| player_team3 = [[San Francisco 49ers]]
| player_positions = [[Running back]]
| coach_years1 = 2013
| coach_team1 = [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA]] (SA)
| coach_years2 = 2014–2015
| coach_team2 = UCLA (GA)
| coach_years3 = 2016
| coach_team3 = [[Texas Tech Red Raiders football|Texas Tech]] (RB)
| coach_years4 = 2017–2023
| coach_team4 = UCLA (RB)
| coach_years5 = 2024–2025
| coach_team5 = UCLA
| overall_record = 5–10
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 
| awards = * Second-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[2001 College Football All-America Team|2001]])
* 2× First-team [[List of All-Pac-12 Conference football teams|All-Pac-10]] ([[2000 All-Pacific-10 Conference football team|2000]], [[2001 All-Pacific-10 Conference football team|2001]])
| coaching_records = 
}}

'''DeShaun Xavier Foster''' (born January 10, 1980) is an American [[college football]] coach and former player who most recently served as the [[Head coach|head football coach]] of the [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA Bruins]] from 2024 to 2025. He played professionally as a [[running back]] for six seasons in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). Foster played collegiately for UCLA, earning [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] honors in 2001. He is a member of the [[UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame]].

Foster was selected by the [[Carolina Panthers]] in the second round of the [[2002 NFL draft]]. He played five seasons for the Panthers and one for the [[San Francisco 49ers]]. He became a coach, serving as an assistant coach for the [[Texas Tech Red Raiders football|Texas Tech Red Raiders]] and UCLA. The Bruins promoted him to head coach in 2024, but he was fired shortly after the start of his second season in 2025.

==Early life==
Foster was born in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]. Although he and his family moved to [[Tustin, California]], when he was one year old, Foster continued to visit relatives in Charlotte regularly as a child.<ref name="super expectations">{{cite news|last=Reiss|first=Karlie|title=Foster talks on Super expectations|url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AMNEWS&req_dat=0D10F2CADB4B24C0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F100A6F63576F1573|work=The Orange County Register|date=January 29, 2004|accessdate=February 12, 2024|via=Newslibrary}}</ref> He attended [[Tustin High School]] and [[Letterman (sports)|lettered]] three times each in football and [[basketball]], and four times in track. As a senior in 1997, he was named the ''[[USA Today]]'' California Player of the Year and finished the year [[Carry (gridiron football)|rushing]] for 3,998 yards and scoring a state single-season record 59 [[touchdown]]s on a Tustin football team that finished runner-up in the state championship against a [[Santa Margarita Catholic High School]] team with quarterback [[Carson Palmer]].<ref name="UCLA player"/><ref name="Henderson 2010">{{cite web|last=Henderson|first=Martin|title=Orange County: Tustin forever links 26 to DeShaun Foster|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles/preps/post/_/id/1504/orange-county-tustin-forever-links-26-to-deshaun-foster|publisher=ESPN Los Angeles|date=September 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909070717/https://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/preps/post/_/id/1504/orange-county-tustin-forever-links-26-to-deshaun-foster|archive-date=September 9, 2010|access-date=February 12, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> For his career, he rushed for a total of 5,885 yards.<ref name="UCLA player">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20021016025835/http://uclabruins.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/foster_deshaun00.html|archivedate=October 16, 2002|title=DeShaun Foster|url=http://uclabruins.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/foster_deshaun00.html|publisher=UCLA|accessdate=February 12, 2024|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Playing career==
===College===
Foster played football at the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA), where he set a team rushing record for true freshmen with 673 yards and 10 touchdowns on 126 carries in 11 games.  The next year, he spent mostly on the bench with an [[ankle]] [[sprain]], but still managed to record 375 yards and 6 scores on 111 carries. As a junior, he led the Bruins with 1,037 yards, while scoring 13 touchdowns. In his final year in [[2001 UCLA Bruins football team|2001]], Foster posted 1,109 yards with 12 touchdowns; he had six games of over 100 rushing yards. He set a school record with a 301-yard game against Washington, and tied a record with four touchdowns (both records since broken by [[Maurice Jones-Drew]]). He was named a second-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] by ''[[The Sporting News]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Sporting News Honors 14 C-USA Football Players|date=December 10, 2001|publisher=Conference USA |url=https://conferenceusa.com/news/2001/12/10/The_Sporting_News_Honors_14_C_USA_Football_Players.aspx|access-date=December 23, 2023}}</ref> He ended his college career in the team top 10 in touchdowns, rushing yards, and points scored.

===National Football League===
{{NFL predraft
|    height ft = 6
|    height in = 0 5/8
|       weight = 222
|         dash = 4.59
|    ten split = 1.62
| twenty split = 2.69
|      shuttle = 4.16
|   cone drill = 6.82
|     vertical = 35.5
|     broad ft = 9
|     broad in = 11
|        bench = 20
|         note = All values from [[NFL Combine]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=595&DraftYear=2002 |title=DeShaun Foster College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=February 1, 2025}}</ref>
}}

====Carolina Panthers====
[[File:DeShaun Foster 2006-10-15.jpg|thumb|Foster in 2006 with the [[Carolina Panthers]].]]
Foster was chosen in the second round (34th overall) of the [[2002 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2002 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2002/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He had a promising preseason, but was injured in a game against the [[New England Patriots]], and sat out the remainder of the season on [[injured reserve]]. However, he returned the following season as a complement to [[Stephen Davis (American football)|Stephen Davis]]; whose bruising style matched well with Foster's speed. Foster finished the regular season with 113 carries for 429 yards. However, his best performances came in the [[NFL playoffs, 2003-04|2003-04 playoffs]]. He had a memorable run in the [[NFC Championship Game]] against the [[Philadelphia Eagles]], where he broke four tackles on a one-yard run to score, giving the Panthers a 14–3 lead. In [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]] against the Patriots, Foster scored on a 33-yard run that stands as the fifth-longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history. The following season looked promising for the Panthers, but many of the starters suffered season-ending injuries, and Foster was no exception. He broke his [[clavicle]] in a game against the [[Denver Broncos]]. He returned the following season (2005) and surpassed Davis as the Panthers' starter. He led the team in yardage and carries, helping the Panthers to an 11–5 record. In a 23–0 wild card victory over the [[New York Giants]], Foster set franchise records for carries (27), yards (151) and average (5.59) in a playoff game, but suffered a broken [[ankle]] in a playoff game against the [[Chicago Bears]] that left him out for the remainder of the playoffs (though it preserved his franchise record 102.5 yards per game in a playoff season).

On, March 10, 2006, Foster agreed to a three-year, $14.5 million contract with a $4.5 million signing bonus with another $3 million in escalators and incentives. This was a $700,000 raise over the transition tag tender placed on Foster in February. He led the team in rushing attempts and yards the next two seasons, increasingly splitting time with [[DeAngelo Williams]].

On February 21, 2008, he was released by the Panthers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clayton |first=John |author-link=John Clayton (sportswriter) |date=2008-02-21 |title=Panthers' overhaul begins with release of Foster |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3257338 |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

====San Francisco 49ers====
[[File:Deshaun Foster rushes at Rams at 49ers 11-16-08.JPG|thumb|Foster carries the ball against the [[St. Louis Rams]] on November 16, 2008]]
On February 29, 2008, the [[San Francisco 49ers]] signed Foster to a one-year contract worth around $1.8 million, to be a back-up behind starter [[Frank Gore]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-02-28 |title=Roundup: Smiley signs 5-year deal with Dolphins |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3269418 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
He played in 16 games, amassing 234 rushing yards and 133 receiving yards.

===NFL statistics===
{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="3" CELLSPACING="0" ID="Table3"
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3" style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"| &nbsp;
! rowspan="99" style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"| &nbsp;
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="4"| Rushing
! rowspan="99" style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"| &nbsp;
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="3"| Receiving
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! style="text-align:center;"| Season
! style="text-align:center;"| Team
! style="text-align:center;"| League
! style="text-align:center;"| GP
! style="text-align:center;"| Att
! style="text-align:center;"| Yds
! style="text-align:center;"| TD
! style="text-align:center;"| Rec
! style="text-align:center;"| Yds
! style="text-align:center;"| TD
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| [[2003 NFL season|2003]]
|| Carolina
|| NFL
|| 14
|| 113
|| 429
|| 0
|| 14
|| 26
|| 2
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
|| [[2004 NFL season|2004]]
|| Carolina
|| NFL
|| 4
|| 59
|| 255
|| 2
|| 9
|| 76
|| 0
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| [[2005 NFL season|2005]]
|| Carolina
|| NFL
|| 15
|| 205
|| 879
|| 2
|| 34
|| 372
|| 1
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
|| [[2006 NFL season|2006]]
|| Carolina
|| NFL
|| 14
|| 227
|| 897
|| 3
|| 49
|| 159
|| 0
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| [[2007 NFL season|2007]]
|| Carolina
|| NFL
|| 16
|| 247
|| 876
|| 3
|| 25
|| 182
|| 1
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| [[2008 NFL season|2008]]
|| San Francisco
|| NFL
|| 16
|| 76
|| 234
|| 1
|| 16
|| 133
|| 1
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3" | Regular season totals
! style="text-align:center;"| 79
! style="text-align:center;"| 927
! style="text-align:center;"| 3,570
! style="text-align:center;"| 11
! style="text-align:center;"| 142
! style="text-align:center;"| 1,129
! style="text-align:center;"| 5
|}

==Coaching career==
===UCLA===
[[File:2024-1108-DeShaun Foster.jpg|thumb|Foster in a post-game press conference as UCLA head coach in 2024]]
In 2012, Foster joined UCLA as a volunteer assistant under head coach [[Jim L. Mora]]. In 2013, he became a [[graduate assistant]] at UCLA. In 2015, he became the program's director of player development and high school relations.

===Texas Tech===
In 2016, Foster was hired as the running backs coach for the [[Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech Red Raiders]] under head coach [[Kliff Kingsbury]].<ref name="t708">{{cite web | last=Snyder | first=Rob | title=Texas Tech Coach Kliff Kingsbury Hires DeShaun Foster as Running Backs Coach | website=News/Talk 95.1 &#x26; 790 KFYO | date=2016-03-02 | url=https://kfyo.com/texas-tech-coach-kliff-kingsbury-hires-deshaun-foster-as-running-backs-coach/ | access-date=2025-01-12}}</ref>

===UCLA (second stint)===
On January 21, 2017, Foster returned to UCLA as their running backs coach under head coach [[Jim L. Mora]]. In 2018, Foster was retained under head coach [[Chip Kelly]]. 

On February 12, 2024, Foster was hired as UCLA's head coach,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bruin Great DeShaun Foster Named UCLA Football Head Coach |url=https://uclabruins.com/news/2024/2/12/bruin-great-deshaun-foster-named-ucla-football-head-coach |date=February 12, 2024|access-date=February 12, 2024|website=UCLABruins.com |publisher=University of California, Los Angeles|language=en}}</ref> signing a five-year contract for $3 million in the first year with annual increases of $100,000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bolch |first=Ben |date=2024-03-08 |title=New UCLA football coach DeShaun Foster's first contract is a bargain |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2024-03-07/ucla-football-coach-deshaun-foster-contract-significant-buyout |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The Bruins were 5–7 in [[2024 UCLA Bruins football team|2024]], starting the season 1–5 before winning four of their last six games.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ben|last=Bolch|title=UCLA fires football coach DeShaun Foster after winless start to season|date=September 14, 2025|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2025-09-14/ucla-fires-football-coach-deshaun-foster-after-winless-start|access-date=September 15, 2025}}</ref><ref name=kosko_09042025/>

On September 14, 2025, after an 0–3 start to [[2025 UCLA Bruins football team|his second season]], Foster was fired by UCLA. He finished his head coaching tenure with a 5–10 record.<ref name=kosko_09042025>{{Cite web |last=Kosko |first=Nick |date=2025-09-14 |title=DeShaun Foster fired as UCLA head coach |url=https://www.on3.com/news/report-deshaun-foster-fired-as-ucla-head-coach/ |access-date=2025-09-14 |website=On3 |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Foster and his wife, Charity, have one daughter together.

==Head coaching record==
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA Bruins]]
 | conf      = [[Big Ten Conference]]
 | startyear = 2024
 | endyear   = 2025
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = 
| year         = [[2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2024]]
| name         = [[2024 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]]
| overall      = 5–7
| conference   = 3–6
| confstanding = T–12th
| bowlname     =  
| bowloutcome  =  
| bcsbowl      = 
| ranking      = no
| ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = 
| year         = [[2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2025]]
| name         = [[2025 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]]
| overall      = 0–3{{efn|UCLA fired Foster after three games.}}
| conference   = 0–0
| confstanding = 
| bowlname     =  
| bowloutcome  =  
| bcsbowl      = 
| ranking      = no
| ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = UCLA
 | overall    = 5–10
 | confrecord = 3–6
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 5–10
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = 
 | legend   = no
}}
{{notelist|group=record}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [https://uclabruins.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/deshaun%20-foster/4043 UCLA Bruins profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080229090113/http://www.panthers.com/Team/PlayerBio.aspx?id=7496 Carolina Panthers profile]

{{Glenn Davis Award}}
{{Panthers2002DraftPicks}}
{{UCLA Bruins football coach navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Deshaun}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American football running backs]]
[[Category:Carolina Panthers players]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from California]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Tustin, California]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Charlotte, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Orange County, California]]
[[Category:San Francisco 49ers players]]
[[Category:Texas Tech Red Raiders football coaches]]
[[Category:Tustin High School alumni]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins football coaches]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins football players]]