Bill Foster (basketball, born 1929) facts for kids
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Foster in 1971
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 19, 1929 Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 2016 (aged 86) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| ?–1954 | Elizabethtown |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1960–1963 | Bloomsburg State |
| 1963–1971 | Rutgers |
| 1971–1974 | Utah |
| 1974–1980 | Duke |
| 1980–1986 | South Carolina |
| 1986–1993 | Northwestern |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1993 | Northwestern (interim AD) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 467–409 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 ACC tournament (1978, 1980) ACC regular season (1979) |
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| Awards | |
| NABC Co-Coach of the Year (1978) ACC Coach of the Year (1978) |
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William "Bill" Edwin Foster (born August 19, 1929 – died January 7, 2016) was a famous American college basketball coach. He led several university teams, including Rutgers University, the University of Utah, Duke University, the University of South Carolina, and Northwestern University.
Coach Foster is best known for leading the Duke Blue Devils to the NCAA championship game in 1978. That same year, he was named the national Coach of the Year. He was also the first NCAA coach to guide four different teams to 20-win seasons. These teams were Rutgers, Utah, Duke, and South Carolina.
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Early Life and Education
Bill Foster was born in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, in 1929. He grew up nearby in Norwood, Pennsylvania, which is close to Philadelphia. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he went to Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1954 with a science degree.
Coaching Career Highlights
Foster started his coaching journey at high schools in the Philadelphia area during the 1950s. He became good friends with Harry Litwack, a well-known basketball coach at Temple University. For about 25 years, they ran a popular summer basketball camp together.
In 1960, Foster became the head coach at Bloomsburg State College. This was an NCAA Division II school. Over three years, his team had a great record of 45 wins and only 11 losses.
Rutgers University
Bill Foster began coaching at the Division I level in 1963 at Rutgers. He coached the Scarlet Knights for eight seasons. During his time there, the team won 120 games and lost 75. In the 1966–67 season, Rutgers had a strong 22–7 record. They were invited to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), which was their first time playing in a postseason tournament.
University of Utah
After the 1971 season, Foster moved to the University of Utah. He coached the Utes for three seasons, from 1971 to 1974. His team had a record of 43 wins and 39 losses. In 1974, he led the Utes to the NIT Championship game. They finished as the runner-up to Purdue. After a successful 22–8 season, Foster accepted the head coach position at Duke.
Duke University
Bill Foster found his biggest success as a coach at Duke. He took over a basketball program that was struggling but had a proud history. Duke was one of the few schools with over 1,000 victories. Foster believed Duke could be great again.
His first season at Duke in 1974–75 had few big moments. However, Duke upset their rival, the eighth-ranked North Carolina, in overtime. This happened in "The Big Four Tournament." Foster slowly rebuilt the team. He brought in talented players like Jim Spanarkel and Mike Gminski. These players, along with senior Tate Armstrong, helped the team improve.
The 1977–78 season was amazing for Duke. Foster added more talented players, including Gene Banks. The team started to play very well, especially after beating second-ranked North Carolina. Duke won 15 of their last 19 games. They finished the season with 27 wins and 7 losses. They also won their first ACC Tournament title since 1966.
Duke made it to the NCAA Final Four. In the semifinals, they faced a strong Notre Dame team. Duke pulled off an upset win, 90–86. This set up a championship game against the powerful Kentucky. Duke played hard, but Kentucky won the title. Even with the loss, Duke's future looked very bright.
The 1978–79 season saw Duke ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation. They won the Big Four Tournament again. Duke shared the ACC regular season title that year. In the 1979–80 season, Duke had another strong year. They beat second-ranked Kentucky and won another Big Four Tournament. Duke was ranked No. 1 for several weeks. They won the 1980 ACC Tournament and made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
Foster coached Duke to a record of 113 wins and 64 losses from 1974 to 1980. He was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1978. He led Duke to two ACC Tournament titles and an appearance in the 1978 NCAA Final Four. Foster's time at Duke helped the program become nationally recognized again. This set the stage for future success under coaches like Mike Krzyzewski.
During his time in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), there were two men's basketball coaches named Bill Foster. To tell them apart, the Duke coach was sometimes called "Duke Foster."
University of South Carolina
After six seasons at Duke, Foster became the head coach at the University of South Carolina. He coached the Gamecocks from 1980 to 1986. In December 1983, Foster had some health issues. He later resigned in 1986.
Northwestern University
In April 1986, Foster was named head coach at Northwestern University. This is where he finished his coaching career. His teams had winning records against non-conference opponents. However, they struggled to compete with the top teams in the Big Ten Conference.
A memorable moment during his time at Northwestern was an upset victory over the defending national champion Indiana in 1988. In 1993, Foster stepped down as basketball coach. He became the interim athletic director for Northwestern University.
Later Career
After leaving Northwestern, Bill Foster continued to work in college sports. He became an associate commissioner for the now-closed Southwest Conference. He also worked as a consultant for the Western Athletic Conference and the Big 12 Conference. He was a longtime member of the board of trustees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He even served as chairman from 1996 to 1998.
Bill Foster passed away on January 7, 2016, in Chicago.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
