The UCLA Bruins, and DeShaun Foster have announced the hiring of a new running backs coach. This comes after 2024 RB Coach Marcus Thomas announced that he would not be returning for the 2025 season.
This past season, UCLA had the worst rushing offense in the Big Ten, averaging just 86.6 yards per game.
UCLA Bruins Hire AJ Steward As New Running Backs Coach
Per Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports, the Bruins have hired AJ Stewar as the new running backs coach.
Steward was on the Kansas staff last season as an assistant.
Before that he was an RB coach for Rice from 2012-2017, BYU in 2018 and 2019, Arizona in 2020, and Oregon State in 2021 and 2022. He spent one year at Baylor before joining Kansas this past season.
Steward will join a completely revamped offensive staff in 2025, with the departures of OC Eric Bieniemy and every position coach except for Jerry Neuheisel.
The offensive staff will be as follows:
- OC: Tino Sunseri
- OL: Andy Kwon
- RB: AJ Steward
- QB: Tino Sunseri
- WR: Burl Toler
- TE: Jerry Neuheisel
Steward will be tasked with getting the running game turned around, which will be integral to the UCLA Bruins offensive success moving forward.