Director of Athletics Jerry Wollmering announced Wednesday the promotion of Chris Foster to the position of head men’s basketball coach at Truman State University. Foster served as the team’s associate men’s basketball coach last season under Matt Woodley, who recently resigned to accept a position in the NBA Developmental League.
"We are excited to have Chris take over the reins of our men’s basketball program and are fortunate to keep him and his family part of our Truman and Kirksville community," Wollmering said.
Named the 12th head coach in Truman men’s basketball history, Foster will be starting his second season on the Bulldog sideline after serving as the men’s basketball video coordinator at the University of Northern Iowa. He re-joined the UNI staff in December 2011 following time as a varsity head coach and instructor at both North County High School and Jefferson High School in the St. Louis area.
He was a four-year standout for UNI as an undergraduate, helping lead the Panthers to the 2003 and 2004 NCAA tournament, while also ranking amongst the program’s top-10 in all-time games played, assists, and three-pointers. He scored 1,027 career points and was a member of the 2002 Missouri Valley Conference all-Freshman team.
Foster then served three different roles in three seasons for the Panther coaching staff, beginning as a graduate manager in 2005. He was then named the program’s director of basketball operations in 2006 before moving into a full-time assistant coaching position for the 2007-08 season.
"I am very honored to be named the new head coach at Truman State University," Foster said. "I want to thank both Mr. Wollmering and President Troy Paino for this outstanding opportunity. I would also like to thank Coach Woodley for bringing me to Truman a year ago and for helping prepare me to take the next step in my coaching career. We have a great group of student-athletes in this program, and I look forward to helping them reach their full potential both on and off the court."
Last year, the Bulldog men’s program became just the sixth in school history to reach the 20-win mark, capping a 20-7 season with a Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament berth. In addition, the team’s 13 conference wins last season set a new program record.
"I am impressed with Chris’ passion for the game, and his exceptional work ethic will help the program build on the momentum we have following our first season of GLVC action," Wollmering said. "His great character makes me confident that he will be an outstanding teacher and developer of young men."
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