Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

DeShaun Foster Shines at Second Media Day

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Scott Salomon | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 12:30 PM ET

When UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster addressed the media last year at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, he was stammering and stuttering. He had nothing prepared and tried to just wing it off the cuff. It was awkward and not a very good introduction to the media.

This season, Foster was very well-prepared. He was rehearsed and had pages of notes that he could speak from. He was the ultimate toastmaster and looked and sounded brilliant.

He even took a shot at himself as he reminded the media of 2024's faux pas.

“Last year I stood up here and reminded everyone that UCLA is in L.A., which looking back might have been the most obvious geography lesson in Big Ten history,” Foster said. “But you know what? Important things are worth stating clearly. We are in L.A., and we’re proud to be in L.A. This year we’re ready to show the Big Ten what L.A. football looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders.”

Here’s the first few minutes of DeShaun Foster’s opening remarks. A remarkable transformation from a year ago. pic.twitter.com/ibs2HSwSmq
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) July 24, 2025

Hopefully for UCLA they will have the same turnaround this season that their coach did. The team looks to rebound from the 1-5 start they had last season. They want to get out of the box faster and start stacking wins from jump street.

It did not take Foster long to talk about his prized transfer, Nico Iamaleava. He even brought him with him to Las Vegas so he could show off his new pupil.

“We’re just excited to have a playoff quarterback, somebody that was able to lead his team to the playoffs,” Foster said. “They might not have gotten the outcome that they wanted, but he still was able to play. He showed how tough he was in that game. Just being able to come back home and be comfortable and being in a familiar environment, I think the sky is the limit. We’re excited about this.”

UCLA will more than likely not be competitive for the league championship this season, but they will be a better team. They were predicted to finish 15th out of 18 teams by the league media. Safe money is on the over as Foster is going to have this team ready to play.

Athletic Director Martin Jarmond credits Foster's willingness to flip his coaching staff to make sure last season's debacle does not happen again. Further, with the success in recruiting of late, this team is on a meteoric rise.

“He’s just brought a vibe back, a buzz and energy about UCLA football that we haven’t had since I’ve been here, quite honestly,” Jarmond said. “And that’s what you want to see.”

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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