Who will be UCLA's next football coach? Here is the initial look at some candidates

Following a 0–3 start to the 2025 college football season, DeShaun Foster was relieved of his duties as UCLA's head football coach on Sunday. While the UCLA athletic department searches nationwide for a permanent replacement, Tim Skipper has been appointed interim head coach for the rest of the season.

Although it is impossible to predict with certainty who the school will hire, a number of potential candidates are realistic possibilites and even likely front-runners due to their achievements, program connections, and credentials.

Here not is an intial look a some possible candidates who could become the next UCLA head football coach.

Florida State's defensive coordinator, Tony White: He is regarded as a formidable contender and possibly the most obvious option if they want to hire a coach who is not a head coach before the end of the season. He was an outstanding linebacker for the Bruins and is a UCLA alumnus. His defense at Florida State was crucial to a recent upset victory against Alabama in the Seminoles' season opener, and he is now regarded as one of the nation's most respected defensive coordinators in all of college football. According to reports, White was considered for the position of head coach before Foster's hiring.

Jedd Fisch, head coach of Washington: Having been the offensive coordinator and temporary head coach of UCLA in 2017, Fisch has a close connection to the UCLA program. Some regard him as "the coach that got away" and have stated a wish to be in Westwood years ago.The issue is that he is already a head coach in the Big Ten, and it is only his second year as the Washington Huskies head coach. However, in his first year in Washington, they had a losing record of 6-7, so he may consider changing locations and coming back to UCLA.

Head coach Alex Golesh of South Florida: He is a rising star in the coaching profession, leading South Florida to two wins over ranked teams in Boise State and Florida to begin the season and getting the Bulls ranked No. 18 in the country this year. He is regarded as one of the top candidates for a possible coaching upgrade and is developing a strong program at South Florida which is good for recruting, in the talented, rich state of Florida. He has a 2-0 bowl record as the head coach of the Bulls and has never had a losing season since he became their head coach.

The head coach at Michigan State, Jonathan Smith: He is a native of Pasadena, California, with a proven track record of reviving teams, most notably at Oregon State. He may be interested in the position, and he has family ties in the area. He is a highly appealing choice because his buyout at Michigan State is not more difficult to overcome than that of other well-known coaches. He struggled in his first season in East Lansing but him leaving Michigan State is not likely, but not out of the realm of possibility.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer of Alabama: Although it's unlikely, DeBoer's name has been brought up due to his struggles getting Alabama to the college football playoffs last season. Throughout his coaching tenure, he has been successful at every stage, including Washington's trip to the College Football Playoff finals. His appearance on a "hot board" indicates the degree of ambition some have for the new job, even though it is doubtful that he would leave Alabama after just one full season.

Chip Kelly is another name that will pop up but it is very unlikely he would want to come back to UCLA and the majority of UCLA football fans would not be thrilled with the re-hire of their former coach.