Foster 'Fortunate' For Support From UCLA Athletic Director

One of the most important aspects of running a successful college football program is alignment from top to bottom, and UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster is beyond thankful for the support he's getting from the Bruins' Athletic Director, Martin Jarmond.

At the 2025 Big Ten Media Days, Foster took the stage and gave fans a promising trajectory ahead of his second season at the helm in UCLA.

Of the many topics he discussed, one of the people he was most thankful for in his journey was Jarmond.

"I'm just fortunate to have an athletic director that's been at the highest level and been to schools that produce at the highest level," Foster said of Jarmond. "The expectations that he has they're very high, and I trust everything that he says and I hold on to a lot of the words that he tells me.

"We have a great relationship. I'm just fortunate that I have somebody that is in my corner and supports me the way that he does."

The alignment goes beyond just Foster and Jarmond's relationship, though. UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk is a huge advocate for the success of UCLA athletics and how that can translate into overall success for the university.

This ideology is paramount after groundbreaking news of student-athlete revenue sharing being approved in the House vs. NCAA settlement. Uor, Martin Jarmond has been nothing but complimentary of the chancellor's intentions and commitment to athletic success in Westwood.

“Chancellor Frenk has been extremely supportive of athletics and the impact that it has on our community,” Jarmond told Ben Bolch of the LA Times. “He has been supportive of our efforts every step of the way. He hit the ground running during a pivotal time not just for athletics but the university, and he has demonstrated support at a high level and I’m grateful for his leadership at such a pivotal time for athletics.”

Foster finished his debut coaching season with a 5-7 record but has since changed the trajectory of the program in his first full offseason, conjuring up UCLA's best recruiting class in over a decade. This upcoming year is highlighted by an overhauled and reworked roster via the transfer portal, headlined by redshirt sophomore transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Success will be a priority in Westwood, and that's coming from the top of command.