Pete Thamel reveals UCLA is ready to 'pony up and big boy invest' in college football after DeShaun Foster firing

UCLA decided they needed to move in a different direction after starting the season 0-3. The Bruins fired head coach DeShaun Foster, the school announced on Sunday, as he was in the middle of his second season.

Over the course of his time with the program, Foster amassed a 5-10 record after going 5-7 in 2024. The Bruins started 1-5 but rallied down the stretch, which gave them some hope for the future. However, it wasn’t meant to be for the coach at his alma mater.

So, what’s next for UCLA? ESPN’s Pete Thamel believes they’re going to throw some cash around to try and fix their mistake, and bring the Bruins back to the forefront of college football.

“I’ve been told that UCLA is now going to pony up and make a big-boy investment,” Thamel reported, via the College GameDay podcast. “They’ve realized the error of their ways. The disconnect between the last administration and the current one is Julio Frenk, their chancellor. He’s the same guy who spent a boatload of money to get Mario Cristobal out of Oregon (and into Miami), and they invested, invested, invested.

“They were ahead in NIL. Remember early NIL? Miami was throwing money around like crazy. They pushed and pushed and pushed. So I’ve been told Frenk is all-in and wants the same kind of revitalization that, frankly, helped him land the UCLA job in the first place. He wants that same resurgence at UCLA.

“Now, there’s a lot more red tape at UCLA, and there’s far less history. Even Miami—who’s generally stunk for 25 years until Cristobal—they’re still making 30 for 30s about them. The brand resonated. You go down the street and people are wearing ‘The U’ stuff. UCLA doesn’t have that tradition. Sure, they’ve got Troy Aikman, but for the most part, it’s been tepid. Who would’ve thought Jim Mora would represent the glory days—and they fired him. 

“So what UCLA has to put forth behind the scenes in the next two months is a convincing, clear, succinct financial plan for how this is going to be exponentially different this time. And Frenk is the front porch of that pitch.”

A Cristobal-like move would work wonders for UCLA. The coach has been fantastic for Miami, and has the Hurricanes looking like national title contenders in 2025. That’s the bar for the Bruins moving forward.

It didn’t work out with Foster, no matter how great of a story it could’ve been. UCLA has realized the error of their ways, and Thamel will have his eyes on Los Angeles as they attempt to change their future.