A.J. Steward Named Running Backs Coach for UCLA Football

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LOS ANGELES – A.J. Steward has been named running backs coach for the UCLA football program, head coach DeShaun Foster announced Wednesday. Steward joins the Bruins from his alma mater, Kansas, where he served as an offensive analyst.

Steward began his coaching career in 2012 and has also spent time at Baylor (2023), Oregon State (2021, 2022), Arizona (2020), BYU (2018, 2019) and Rice (2012-17), guiding the running backs at each stop.

"I am really excited to complete my staff with Coach Steward," said Foster. "He always gets the most out of his backs and it shows in how they play. They approach every down with discipline and intent and that is a reflection of their coach."

The Jayhawks registered a top-40 offense in 2024, averaging 420.2 total yards per game (37th nationally). The running attack proved especially potent, ranking 13th overall with a per-game rate of 211.4. All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick Devin Neal was the catalyst, ranking among the nation's leaders in all-purpose yards per game (126.7, 14th), rushing touchdowns (16, 15th) and rushing yards per game (105.5, 15th). In Steward's first Big 12 season, three Baylor backs – Dominic Richardson (519), Dawson Pendergrass (338) and Richard Reese (306) – rushed for more than 300 yards. Pendergrass found the end zone five times.

Oregon State finished the 2022 campaign No. 14 in the College Football Playoff rankings with a record of 10-3. The Beavers prevailed in the Las Vegas Bowl for their program's first 10-win showing since 2006. Running back Damien Martinez was named the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and earned first-team recognition after rushing 161 times for 982 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns under Steward.

Another All-Conference first-teamer performed on Steward's watch in 2021, as B.J. Baylor led the Pac-12 with 1,337 ground yards. Baylor was the first Oregon State rusher to accomplish that feat since Steven Jackson in 2003. The Beavers set school records with 5.3 yards per rush and 6.4 yards per play en route to the LA Bowl. Steward's ball carriers at Arizona averaged 156.4 rushing yards per game during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, with All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention recipient Gary Brightwell leading the way. Brightwell was a sixth-round draft pick of the NFL's New York Giants in 2021.

Across his two years at BYU, Steward oversaw a unit that accumulated 52 touchdowns on the ground. The Cougars averaged more than 150 rushing yards per game each year, with five different backs posting single-game outputs of 100 yards or more. The 2019 group ran for 2,068 yards and nine different Cougars had two or more touchdowns on the ground. Among them was Ty'Son Williams, who was picked up by the NFL's Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent. BYU recorded a pair of winning seasons, reaching the 2019 Hawaii Bowl and the 2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Steward started his coaching career at Rice in 2012, serving as a graduate assistant for two years before being elevated to running backs coach. He helped two backs – Jowan Davis and Darik Dillard – run for 2,000-career yards during his tenure. They combined for 4,226 yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground, leaving Houston as two of the program's top 10 rushers. The Owls averaged at least 167.8 rushing yards in all six of Steward's seasons on staff – including 187.0 in 2017 – and received berths into the 2014 Hawaii Bowl, the 2013 Liberty Bowl and the 2012 Armed Forces Bowl.

In 2015, four different Rice running backs – including Conference USA All-Freshman selections Samuel Stewart and Austin Walter – ran for 100 yards or more in a single game. Walter earned an NFL contract from the San Francisco 49ers and made his debut with the Giants in 2019. As a graduate assistant, Steward helped All-CUSA first-teamer Charles Ross rank among the country's leaders in rushing yards (1,280) and rushing touchdowns (15) in 2013.

Steward was a four-year letterwinner at Kansas, where he carved out a role at tight end after playing quarterback and wide receiver. In 37 career games, he caught five passes for 31 yards and made three tackles. Steward was tabbed Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year in 2007, widely considered the best season in program history. The Jayhawks rose to No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and finished the campaign 11-1 with a win in the Orange Bowl.

Steward earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Kansas in 2012. He and his wife, Virginia, have two sons, A.J. and Jaxon.

STEWARD'S COACHING EXPERIENCE

2012, 2013 – Graduate Assistant, Rice

2014-17 – Running Backs Coach, Rice

2018, 2019 – Running Backs Coach, BYU

2020 – Running Backs Coach, Arizona

2021, 2022 – Running Backs Coach, Oregon State

2023 – Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach, Baylor

2024 – Analyst (Offense) – Kansas