Tim Skipper describes his relationship with DeShaun Foster after taking over as interim

Tim Skipper joined UCLA‘s coaching staff in July. Despite his relatively short tenure with the program, the new interim head coach has a deep relationship with the man he took over for — former head coach DeShaun Foster.

Foster was let go after the Bruins’ 0-3 start to the season. He finished his less-than two year stint at UCLA with a 5-10 record.

“Anytime there’s an interim head coach, it’s never a good thing, right? Something’s not right,” Skipper said during his first appearance in front of media as interim coach. “Coach Foster’s like a brother to me, always will be. He’s part of my family. He’s been to my parents house and had my mom’s cooking. That’s how close we are.

“So it definitely wasn’t just great feelings and things like that, but we both know we’ve got to move on. We’re football players and football coaches, so we know how this business goes. Every second you can’t wait. So, (we) definitely embraced each other, and then we move forward.”

What’s next for Foster remains to be seen. The majority of his coaching experience is at UCLA minus spending 2016 as the RB coach for Texas Tech.

Meanwhile, Skipper has been coaching college football since 2001, but has never been a full-time head coach. He previously served as the acting head coach and interim head coach at his alma mater, Fresno State, in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Skipper finished his time with the Bulldogs with a 7-7 record while acting as the team’s head coach. That included a 6-7 finish to the 2024 season that saw Fresno State finish 6-7 and with a trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

He then joined UCLA’s coaching staff in July after Fresno State hired Matt Entz to be its next head coach. It’s safe to say that his tenure with the Bruins has moved pretty fast — but it appears Skipper is taking his new role in stride. Given his recent experience in the same role for Fresno State, Skipper understands the assignment at hand.

Following this weekend’s bye, Skipper’s first assignment will be leading the Bruins on the road for their Big Ten opener against the Northwestern Wildcats. After that, they’ll be welcoming Penn State to Pasadena on Oct. 4. The Bruins also has ranked matchups against the likes of Indiana, Ohio State and USC down the stretch during Big Ten play.