Coach Deshaun Foster brings 'relatability' to alma mater UCLA Bruins | NBC Sports

What does it mean to be the head coach at UCLA the Sean first of all um you're a grad Alum of UCLA what does it mean to you to be the head coach at your a moer it's just something that you can't put in the words you know um it's a I'm truly blessed to be able to be in this position and be the head football coach at my M modder but you know it just doesn't stop there we got to get out there and win some games yeah now in your career path as you got into coaching was it your always your intent or goal to be a head coach um not necessarily you know I was kind of enjoying my role as the running back What made him decide to get into coaching coach but just to rewind it a little bit I didn't know that I even wanted to coach yeah so I start with that and then as I learned how to teach it it just took off from there yeah what made you decide to get into coaching um I was I needed to come and finish my undergrad so I came back to do that and then um I was thinking about going to law school just because I knew that would buy me three more years some more time to figure out what I wanted to do oh but you know but football was calling and you know I guess I kind of figured it out kind of fast what's the most The most gratifying part of coaching gratifying part of being a coach I think it's the development part for me you know just uh being able to teach somebody stuff that you know you know and then see them actually do it on the field that's there's nothing better than that yeah I guess also welcome to the Big 10 right uh you are a Pack 12 guy and and a West Coast guy what is that feel like I mean today is probably your first real entree into it what what what are your feelings about being in the Big 10 um it's exciting it's um you know we're in a real conference this is this is somewhere that you know you you have potential to to go to the playoffs every year um win end of the Year Awards um you know and just play football games that are being seen constantly on big channels and networks so I'm just excited for it you know I think this is a lot of exposure that our players need and you know it's going to help them make it to the next level Challenges ahead yeah what are some of the specific challenges that you see ahead of playing in this league I mean obviously travel weather some different things that that might be things you're going to have to to work through I don't think travel is going to be that big of an issue I think it's more of the the stadiums itself you know just playing in front of a 100,000s just something that they haven't seen um I'm not worried about the traveling part that that comes with it but you know if I can kind of neutralize that that wow factor in some of those stadiums I think it'll be okay now obviously in this setting right now you have a very mild manner demeanor very quiet thoughtful uh is that On the field demeanor different on the field with your guys I would say it is I would say it is you get a little get a little after him with just a little bit what do you think is the best thing that you bring to this job and to UCLA um a little bit of relatability um I'm a disciplinarian so my running backs liked it you know I haven't had too many players that didn't that on the team like were that were just rebelling against me or but it's it's been it's been good we've been it's been good yeah um one of the guys that you hired On offensive line coach Eric Mee on your staff Eric meamy uh has a great legacy and track record what is he meant to you meant to your staff meant to the the players on your team he's just somebody that anybody in the building can bounce something off him you know he has so much knowledge in the game he's coached for so long that he can help you in some aspect you know so you should just use him so that's what I liked him there he's actually somebody I can bounce things off of and get a real answer not just uh you know he can he's really helping me basically so obviously you have aspir 's goals or where you want to see UCLA get to where you want this program to be what what are the On UCLAs goals biggest challenges that you see right now in getting from where you are right now to where you want to be um we won eight games last year and the year before so it's not really broken but it's just a little bit of fine-tuning you know just just come out there and and and play at a certain level and enjoy it enjoy playing at that certain level CU I think that might catapult us to some more points or a turnover or just into something you have a guy in Ethan garbers who has experience at the quarterback position um what what would you say are his strengths as a player and what are your expectations for him um Ethan is a exception he's a scratch golfer first to start there you know um sneaky athletic can hoop can dunk can punch it he's just a um just a good athlete and uh I'm just excited to see what he can do once we give him that opportunity in the fall you know we got to keep him upright he stays healthy I think Scott's your defense last year a very solid year you lose your coordinator uh and a couple Dynamic pass rushers what what's it going to take to to play at that same kind of level of Defense um it's going to take the whole defense it's not going to be just some edges or something like that you know it's going to take the whole defense to replace lot that's a fifth round pick I mean a 15th pick um if you cut the draft on late you didn't see him you didn't see the the the defense player get picked itself so it's just more of a um all the guys that are getting in there is more of a collective than just one individual yeah you probably know more about UCLA On educating players about UCLA Westwood the whole experience and any of the guys on your team how do you try to educate your guys or or teach them about UCLA the UCLA experience the history uh associated with it um just trying to bring back certain type of things that are from the history from like um bringing back brew and walk I want the the players to walk through the fans to the stadium you know so just try to bring little Traditions at that's something you did when you were play I did when I played and and it was just just got me ready for the game you know being able to walk through with the fans hear the cheering see your family for the last time and then go out there and execute yeah what about uh have you been On connecting with former UCLA players able to connect with other former Bruins and maybe teammates of yours or guys and encouraging them to to kind of come back and be around the guys yeah I yeah it's just been um just reaching out to everybody you know uh any group chat that I'm in that has Bruins in there I'm mentioning stuff so just trying to get everybody out here as a collective when this first season is On UCLAs identity said and done what what do you hope that you will have accomplish and and what do you want the Identity or the personality of this team to be something close to my pillars so displine respect and enthusiasm that's what I want to see every day but I just want to make sure that we can get out and just execute yeah you know at a high level um and and something that's not predicated on the who we're playing against you know you could you can show up and play hard no matter what so that's what I'm looking forward to Yeah you mentioned your pillars you what are your pillars um discipline respect and enthusiasm Dr yeah now did you develop them yourself did those come from somewhere else or how did you um the discipline and respect came from my dad the rest I came up well the enthusiasm I came up with yeah did you play with a lot of enthusiasm I really didn't as a player I did when I was little but the older I got the more I knew it was still z00 after you were talking so I just let it go yeah