Biographical details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born | Abington, Pennsylvania, U.S. | October 16, 1948|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | Temple | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1978–1991 | Saint Joseph's | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1991–2002 | Vanderbilt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2002–2013 | Ohio State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013–2018 | Chattanooga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Head coaching record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overall | 903–347 (.722) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Accomplishments and honors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4× Big Ten Coach of the Year (2005–2007, 2009) USA Basketball Developmental Coach Of The Year (2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Jim Foster (born October 16, 1948) is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head women's basketball coach at St. Joseph's, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, and Chattanooga. He was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2013. [1] On February 1, 2018, Foster notched his 900th career win as a head coach, becoming the eighth fastest to reach that mark and tying for seventh in all-time career wins. [2] He announced his retirement in May 2018, after 40 years on the bench. [3]
Foster was born October 16, 1948 [4] in Abington, Pennsylvania. [5] He grew up in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, and attended Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [5] He joined the Army in 1966, and served until 1969, with half of that time spent in Vietnam. While he was serving, his brother, John was drafted. Although Jim's tour was scheduled to end, he agreed to serve an additional tour in Vietnam so his brother would not have to serve in a war zone. [6] After completing his tours, Foster attended Temple University, graduating in 1980. [7]
Foster began his coaching career at Bishop McDevitt High School in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, where he served as the boys basketball assistant coach and the girls basketball head coach. [5]
Foster began his college head coaching career as the head coach at St. Joseph's in 1978. He remained as head coach for 13 seasons, compiling a record of 248–126. [8] In 1985, the Hawks won seven of their eight Atlantic Ten games to win the conference title. They won 25 games during the season to earn their first ever bid to an NCAA tournament. This bid would be the first of six consecutive bids to the NCAA Tournament. [9]
Foster accepted a position as head coach of the women's basketball team at Vanderbilt in 1991. He remained there for eleven seasons, compiling a record of 256–99. [10] He made the Elite Eight five times during his tenure with the Commodores, including a trip to the 1993 Final Four. To date this remains the only Final Four appearance by a Vanderbilt basketball team.
While at Vanderbilt, Foster served a one-year term as President of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. [11]
Foster became the head coach of the women's basketball team at Ohio State in 2002. He served in that position for eleven years, with a record of 279–82. [10] While at Ohio State, the Big Ten selected Foster as the women's basketball coach of the year three consecutive years, 2005–2007 and again in 2009. [12] Foster was fired by Ohio State at the end of the 2012–2013 season after his team did not make the NCAA tournament. [13] Kevin McGuff was hired as his replacement.
Ohio State played Notre Dame in the first-ever women's basketball game played on an aircraft carrier. The game was played on the USS Yorktown, now a National Historic Landmark in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The Yorktown served in Vietnam while Foster was serving in Vietnam. Notre Dame won the game, 57–51. [14] [15]
On May 9, 2013, Chattanooga announced the hiring of Foster to become the new head coach of the women's basketball team. [8] In April 2016, Chattanooga announced that Foster's contract had been extended through the 2021–22 season, although he decided to retire in May 2018. [16] [3]
Foster served as assistant coach or head coach of USA Basketball teams on nine occasions, and served (2013–16) as the chair of the Women's Junior National Team Committee. [17]
In 1987, he was the assistant coach of the gold medal-winning 1987 Olympic Festival women's basketball team. In 1989 he was the assistant coach of the USA representative at the World Junior Championships in Bilbao, Spain (now called U19). [18] In 1990, he was an assistant coach under Theresa Grentz for the USA National team at the World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team, behind the 22 point per game scoring of Teresa Edwards, won all eight contests, with only the win over Cuba decided by single digits. The USA team faced Yugoslavia in the gold medal game, and won 88–78. [19] The same team returned to Seattle, Washington, for the 1990 Goodwill Games. The team hadn't lost a game in the last 36 games, but they struggled in the opening game against South Korea. They were trailing after more than eleven minutes played before going on a run to take a commanding lead. The next opponent was the USSR, who led at halftime, before the USA took over in the second half. The USA team then won two games easily, and faced the USSR again for the gold medal. This time, the USA took at ten point lead in the first half, opened the second half with a 16–1 run and held on to win 82–70. [20] [21]
In 1991, Foster had his first USA experience as a head coach, with the Junior Select Team, coaching the team to a 5–1 record. [22] In 1992, he returned to his role as an assistant under Grentz, when the USA National team went to the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The team only suffered one loss but it was a 79–73 loss in the medal round to the Unified team (the countries of the former Soviet Union). The team won the final game against Cuba to earn the bronze medal. [23]
Foster took over the head coaching duties of the USA Women's Junior World Championship Team in 1993. The Championship was held in Seoul, South Korea. The USA team lost to host South Korea, but then won three games to stay in contention for the medal round. At the end of preliminary play, the USA team, with a 4–1 record, was in a three-way tie for two medal round positions. The tie-breaking rule was based upon point differential, and the USA team was third behind South Korea and Russia. The USA team then lost a one-point game to France, and recovered to beat Japan in the final game. The team ended with an overall record of 5–2, but this was only good enough for seventh place. [24]
In 1997, Foster was named head coach of the USA representative to the World University Games, held in Marsala, Sicily, Italy. The USA team had not won gold in this biennial event since 1991. This year, the USA team would be dominant, with easy victories in all but one contest. After winning their first three contests by no fewer than 38 points, the USA team faced Russia. The game had five ties and 13 lead changes. Connecticut's Nykesha Sales led the scoring of the USA team with 17 points, hitting connective baskets in the second half to give the USA a lead it would not give up. The USA went on to win the game 78–70. The USA went on to win the two medal rounds games, with a 100–82 victory over Cuba to give the USA team the gold medal. [25]
In 2003, Foster was named head of the USA team competing at the FIBA World Championship For Young Women (also known as the U21 Women's World Championship) held in Šibenik, Croatia. After winning their first two games, the USA team lost to Brazil 73–60. The USA team went on to win their next games, and qualified for the medal round. The semifinal game was against France, their opponent in the first game, That game had been close, with the USA winning by a score of 56–48. This game would also be close, with the USA winning 58–47 to advance to the gold medal game in a rematch against Brazil. The USA team started out much better, and had a 50–31 margin early in the second half, but Brazil went on a run and cut the lead to seven points with a little over a minute left in the third quarter. Neither team scored for several minutes into the fourth quarter, but the USA finally out together a run, and won the game 71–55 to win the gold medal. [26]
Foster now has been part of the coaching staff of five gold medal teams and one bronze medal team for the US, with an overall record of 27–4. [26]
Foster was inducted in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2013. In his induction speech, he recalled meetings with Pat Summitt when the Hall of Fame was in the formative stages. [27] His credentials include 35 years of head coaching experience at St. Joseph's, Vanderbilt, Ohio State and Chattanooga with a 71.8% lifetime winning percentage, along with four Big Ten Coach of the Year awards. [28]
Sources: St. Joseph's, [32] Ohio State [33]
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Joseph's Hawks (Independent)(1978–1979) | |||||||||
1978–79 | St. Joseph's | 16–9 | AIAW | ||||||
St. Joseph's: | 16–9 (.640) | ||||||||
St. Joseph's Hawks (Philadelphia Big 5)(1979–1983) | |||||||||
1979–80 | St. Joseph's | 11–15 | 3–1 | ||||||
1980–81 | St. Joseph's | 14–11 | 2–2 | ||||||
1981–82 | St. Joseph's | 16–12 | 2–2 | ||||||
1982–83 | St. Joseph's | 15–13 | 3–1 | ||||||
St. Joseph's: | 56–51 (.523) | 10–6 (.625) | |||||||
St. Joseph's Hawks (Atlantic 10 Conference)(1983–1991) | |||||||||
1983–84 | St. Joseph's | 17–10 | 3–5 | 6th | |||||
1984–85 | St. Joseph's | 25–5 | 7–1 | 1st | NCAA first round | ||||
1985–86 | St. Joseph's | 22–7 | 2–4 | T-2nd | NCAA second round | ||||
1986–87 | St. Joseph's | 23–9 | 14–4 | 3rd | NCAA second round | ||||
1987–88 | St. Joseph's | 24–8 | 16–2 | 2nd | NCAA second round | ||||
1988–89 | St. Joseph's | 23–8 | 16–2 | T-1st | NCAA second round | ||||
1989–90 | St. Joseph's | 24–7 | 16–2 | T-1st | NCAA first round | ||||
1990–91 | St. Joseph's | 18–12 | 10–8 | T-5th | |||||
St. Joseph's: | 176–66 (.727) | 84–28 (.750) | |||||||
Vanderbilt Commodores (SEC)(1991–2002) | |||||||||
1991–92 | Vanderbilt | 22–9 | 6–5 | NCAA Elite Eight | |||||
1992–93 | Vanderbilt | 30–3 | 9–2 | NCAA Final Four | |||||
1993–94 | Vanderbilt | 25–8 | 9–2 | NCAA Sweet 16 | |||||
1994–95 | Vanderbilt | 28–7 | 8–3 | NCAA Sweet 16 | |||||
1995–96 | Vanderbilt | 23–8 | 7–4 | NCAA Elite Eight | |||||
1996–97 | Vanderbilt | 20–11 | 6–6 | NCAA Sweet 16 | |||||
1997–98 | Vanderbilt | 20–9 | 9–5 | NCAA first round | |||||
1998–99 | Vanderbilt | 13–14 | 6–8 | ||||||
1999-00 | Vanderbilt | 21–13 | 6–8 | NCAA second round | |||||
2000–01 | Vanderbilt | 24–10 | 8–6 | NCAA Elite Eight | |||||
2001–02 | Vanderbilt | 30–7 | 10–4 | NCAA Elite Eight | |||||
Vanderbilt: | 256–99 (.721) | 84–53 (.613) | |||||||
Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten)(2002–2013) | |||||||||
2002–03 | Ohio State | 22–10 | 10–6 | T-4th | NCAA second round | ||||
2003–04 | Ohio State | 21–10 | 11–5 | 3rd | NCAA second round | ||||
2004–05 | Ohio State | 30–5 | 14–2 | T-1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2005–06 | Ohio State | 29–3 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA second round | ||||
2006–07 | Ohio State | 28–4 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA first round | ||||
2007–08 | Ohio State | 22–9 | 13–5 | T-1st | NCAA first round | ||||
2008–09 | Ohio State | 29–6 | 15–3 | 1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2009–10 | Ohio State | 31–5 | 15–3 | 1st | NCAA second round | ||||
2010–11 | Ohio State | 24–10 | 10–6 | T-3rd | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2011–12 | Ohio State | 25–7 | 11–5 | T-2nd | NCAA first round | ||||
2012–13 | Ohio State | 18–13 | 7–9 | T-8th | |||||
Ohio State: | 279–82 (.773) | 136–46 (.747) | |||||||
Chattanooga Mocs (Southern)(2013–2018) | |||||||||
2013–14 | Chattanooga | 29–4 | 18–0 | 1st | NCAA first round | ||||
2014–15 | Chattanooga | 29–4 | 14–0 | 1st | NCAA first round | ||||
2015–16 | Chattanooga | 24–8 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA first round | ||||
2016–17 | Chattanooga | 21–11 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA first round | ||||
2017–18 | Chattanooga | 17–13 | 8–6 | 3rd | WNIT 1st Round | ||||
Chattanooga: | 120–40 (.750) | 64–10 (.865) | |||||||
Total: | 903–347 (.722) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
Luigi "Geno" Auriemma is an American basketball coach who is the head coach of the UConn Huskies women's basketball team. He holds the record for most wins (1,217) and highest winning percentage (.883) among college coaches with a minimum of 10 seasons, any level, men's or women's. Since becoming head coach in 1985, he has led UConn to 17 undefeated conference seasons, of which six were undefeated overall seasons, with 11 NCAA Division I national championships, the most in women's college basketball history, and has won eight national Naismith College Coach of the Year awards. Auriemma was the head coach of the United States women's national basketball team from 2009 through 2016, during which time his teams won the 2010 and 2014 World Championships, and gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, going undefeated in all four tournaments. Auriemma was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Joanne Palombo-McCallie is an American college basketball coach and advocate for mental health who most recently served as the head coach of the Duke University women's basketball team.
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams, 14 of which compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt's women's lacrosse team plays in the American Athletic Conference. The bowling team plays in Conference USA (C-USA), which absorbed Vanderbilt's former bowling home of the Southland Bowling League after the 2022–23 season. The University of Tennessee Volunteers are Vanderbilt's primary athletic rival, and the only other SEC team in Tennessee.
Semeka Chantay Randall-Lay is the current head coach for the Winthrop Eagles women's basketball team. She is also a former collegiate and professional basketball player. She was hired as recruiting coordinator at Wright State in June 2016 after serving as the head coach of the Alabama A&M University women's basketball team for three years. Randall was also head coach of the Ohio Bobcats, from 2008 to 2013. She previously served as an assistant coach of the women's basketball teams at West Virginia University, Michigan State University, and Cleveland State University.
Katie Smith is an American basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team. She is the former head coach of the New York Liberty.
Anne Theresa Donovan was an American women's basketball player and coach. From 2013 to 2015, she was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun.
Tara Ann VanDerveer is a retired American basketball coach who was the head women's basketball coach at Stanford University from 1985 until her retirement in 2024. Designated the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women's Basketball, VanDerveer led the Stanford Cardinal to three NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships: in 1990, 1992 and 2021. She stepped away from the Stanford program for a year to serve as the U.S. national team head coach at the 1996 Olympic Games. VanDerveer is the 1990 Naismith National Coach of the Year and a ten-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year. VanDerveer was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Debbie Black is an American women's basketball former player and current coach. During her professional career, Black played in the Women's National Basketball League in Australia, the American Basketball League and the Women's National Basketball Association. She retired from the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA in 2005. Black was an assistant coach for the Ohio State University before being named the head coach of the Eastern Illinois University Women's Basketball team on May 16, 2013, in which position she continued until 2017.
Maureen Theresa Muth "Rene" Portland was an American head coach in women's college basketball, known for her 27-year tenure with the Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team and anti-lesbian policies. Her career included 21 NCAA tournament appearances including a Final Four appearance in 2000, one AIAW national tournament appearance, five Big Ten Conference championships and eight conference tournament titles.
Gail Ann Goestenkors is an American basketball coach who was most recently an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team.
Deb Patterson is currently the director of player personnel and program analytics for the Washington State women's basketball team. Patterson is the former women's basketball program head coach at Kansas State. She was relieved of her coaching duties on March 9, 2014. She is the school's all-time winningest head coach record, with 350 wins.
Nancy Darsch was an American women's basketball coach who worked at both the professional and NCAA Division I college levels. A native of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Darsch was a 1973 graduate of Springfield College. She also earned a master's degree in physical education from the University of Tennessee. Darsch was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame on September 25, 2014.
Sylvia Rhyne Hatchell is a former American women's basketball coach, who last coached for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and was the fifth with the most career wins in NCAA women's basketball history, behind former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, and UConn coach Geno Auriemma. She competed with USA Basketball as the head coach of the 1994 Jones Cup Team that won the gold in Taipei. Hatchell was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004.
Stephanie Joanne White is an American former professional basketball player and the head coach of the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She was previously head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team from 2016 to 2021. Prior to Vanderbilt, she was the head coach of the Indiana Fever of the WNBA for the 2015 and 2016 season. As an intercollegiate athlete, she was named the winner of the Wade Trophy in 1999, which recognizes the top female basketball player in the nation.
Carolyn Arlene Peck is an American television sportscaster and former college basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's basketball teams of Purdue University and the University of Florida, and also the first head coach-general manager in the history of the WNBA's Orlando Miracle. Peck was also an associate head coach for her alma mater, Vanderbilt University.
The USA Women’s World University Games Team is one of the teams under the auspices of the USA Basketball organization. The Universiade is an international, multi-sport event for university students, generally held every other year since 1959. It is second only to the Olympics in number of participants. The United States has participated in women's basketball since their first participation in 1973 at the VII Summer Universiade. USA Basketball has organized the participation except for 2003 and 2007. In 2003 an All-Star team selected from the Big 12 Conference represented the US in Daegu, South Korea. In 2007, the Charlotte 49ers, the basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, represented the USA in Bangkok, Thailand.
The R. Williams Jones Cup Team is one of the teams under the auspices of the USA Basketball organization. The R. William Jones Cup competition is an international basketball tournament for men's and women's teams held in Taipei, Taiwan almost annually since the inaugural event in 1977. The event is named after Renato William Jones, the founding secretary-general of FIBA, the International Basketball Federation. USA Basketball organized the USA Women's team entry from the time of the inaugural event through the year 2000. In most years, the team was selected from university and high school all stars. In some years, the team was predominantly selected from one university or conference. For example, the 1990 entry was predominantly the North Carolina State team, plus four other players. The 1991 team was composed of all-star players from the Pac-10 Conference.
Mary Camille "Kamie" Ethridge is an American former basketball player and current basketball coach. She was an All-American point guard at the University of Texas at Austin and won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. She is considered one of the best women's basketball players in history and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Ethridge is currently the head coach at Washington State University.
Frances Hollingsworth "Holly" Warlick is an American college basketball coach who was head coach for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. She replaced head coach Pat Summitt prior to the 2012–13 season and held the position until the end of the 2018–19 season. Warlick was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
The Chattanooga Mocs women's basketball team, formerly known as the Lady Mocs, represents the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in NCAA women's basketball competition. The team is coached by Deandra Schirmer, and play their home games at McKenzie Arena.