Nov 23, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins place kicker Mateen Bhaghani (94) high fives head coach DeShaun Foster after hitting a first quarter field goal against the USC Trojans at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Should UCLA Extend DeShaun Foster Now or Later?

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Brock Vierra | Last updated May 18, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The UCLA Bruins have a decision in front of them that could change the trajectory of the football program forever. Do they take a gamble and extend head football coach DeShaun Foster now, or do they wait and potentially cost the school millions?

There is no absolutely correct answer in this scenario, but recent revelations about how much coaches in the Big Ten are making compared to Foster highlight a picture that Foster needs to get paid.

Scenario A: UCLA extends Foster.

Pros: UCLA saves millions of dollars if Foster breaks out in 2025, it increases the amount another program would have to pay if Foster were to take another head coaching job while under contract, it tells recruits that UCLA is committed to him, allowing Foster to go after recruits with another guarantee in his arsenal and certain boosters may commit more resources to the program.

Cons: If Foster fails, UCLA is on the hook for millions.

Scenario B: UCLA waits, and Foster breaks out in 2026

Winning at UCLA is not easy. Winning at UCLA in the NIL era is not for the faint of heart. Winning at UCLA in the NIL era, with Big Ten travel, and college football's most controversial quarterback on the roster is near suicide, but it is those who dare that soar, and should Foster soar, big-time programs around the country are going to be calling his phone like a scorned lover with unlimited data.

But Foster is a son of UCLA, so he offers his beloved alma mater to match the top offer. Does UCLA even come close?

Do you bet on Foster now or later? What a riveting question. Well, let's look at what happened with offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri's boss.

When Indiana hired Curt Cignetti, it couldn't have expected he would lead one of college football's worst programs ever to the College Football Playoff in his first year.

Thus, before the season was up, Indiana extended him, giving him a contract worth double the deal he signed less than a year before.

A question for the Bruins to at least entertain.