B.J. Foster, who served as interim head coach for the 2016-17 season, has been named head men’s basketball coach, Cal State San Marcos Director of Athletics Jennifer Milo announced.
“Coach Foster did an amazing job this past year in his interim role,” Milo said. “Our team would have qualified for the CCAA conference tournament had we been eligible. Coach Foster created an incredible team culture this year in which academics was the top priority. He fits the vision and culture of our athletics department and our institution.
“Coach Foster is a true team player and an integral part of our future success.”
Foster was elevated from assistant coach to interim head coach on June 6, 2016 when former head coach Jim Saia took the head coaching position at Cal State L.A.
“I am very excited to be able to stay at San Marcos,” Foster said. “The relationships I have with the coaches and administrators makes this a very special place to work. I would especially like to thank Director of Athletics, Jennifer Milo, for affording me this great opportunity. I am eager to lead this program and this group of players out of the transition period and into full NCAA Division II membership.”
In 2016-17 season, Foster led CSUSM to a fifth-place finish after going 18-12 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). If eligible, the Cougars would have earned a spot in the CCAA Tournament, which CSUSM hosted in The Sports Center on March 3-4.
In his first season in charge of the Cougars, Foster guided the squad to an 18-10 overall record with road victories over Elite Eight participant Chico State as well as CCAA Regular Season and Tournament Champion UC San Diego.
Among the six West Region first-year head coaches in 2016-17, Foster had the best winning percentage (.643) despite losing 97-percent of CSUSM’s scoring from 2015-16.
Four Cougars earned All-CCAA accolades this past season. Junior guard Ethan Alvano was named CCAA Newcomer of the Year and to the first team. Junior forward Joe Boyd was placed on the second team while senior guard Tyson Kygar and junior guard Josh Spiers got honorable mention recognition.
Senior guard Devin Koeplin was selected to the CCAA All-Academic team.
Foster helped guide the Cougars while serving as CSUSM’s assistant coach to a 77-18 (.811) mark since arriving in 2013. He was the key recruiter for the 2013-14 season in which the Cougars went 32-2 overall, spent seven weeks as the NAIA No. 1-ranked team and won their first-ever conference title. In 2014-15, Foster once again helped recruit another class of Cougars that went on to go 30-4, win a conference title and advance to the NAIA quarterfinals.
Prior to CSUSM, Foster spent 11 years as an assistant coach at three different institutions in Southern California – Point Loma (2002-04), Vanguard (2004-06) and Biola (2006-13). Including his three years as CSUSM’s assistant coach, his teams have gone 298-156 (.656) during his tenure as an assistant and have won 20 or more games in eight different seasons.
With the core of this past season’s team returning, CSUSM is slated to be ready for postseason play in 2017-18 if full NCAA Division II membership status is granted this summer.
