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- For the former coach at Charlotte, Clemson, and Virginia Tech, see Bill Foster (basketball coach).
Bill Foster was the head men's basketball coach at Rutgers University, University of Utah, Duke University, University of South Carolina, and Northwestern University. Currently he is the vice president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Foster has been inducted into the Rutgers Basketball Hall of Fame and became the first coach ever in NCAA history to guide four different teams to 20-win seasons (Rutgers, Utah, Duke, and South Carolina).
[edit] Education
Foster graduated from Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
[edit] Coaching career
[edit] Rutgers
Foster's Division I coaching career began at Rutgers University, where he led the Scarlet Knights to an overall record of 120-75(.615) in eight seasons. He coached there from 1963-1971. In the 1966-1967 season, the Scarlet Knights finished with a record of 22-7 and made the school's first ever post-season play, making the NIT. After the 1971 season, Foster took the head coaching job at the University of Utah, replacing legendary Utah basketball coach Jack Gardner.
Though his stay with the Utes was short, in three seasons (1971-74), he led the Utes to a 43-39 (.524) record. He also guided the Utes to the 1974 NIT Championship game, where they finished runner-up to Purdue University. Finishing with a 22-8 record, Foster became the head coach at Duke University.
Bill Foster's greatest success as a head coach would come at Duke University. Taking over a struggling program with a proud history that was searching for stability and strong leadership. Duke was only one of eight schools at that time to have hit the 1,000th victory plateau and the program in its seemingly forgotten past had once seen Final Fours and Conference championships. "I knew Duke from the Bubas years when they were great, and I thought they could be great again, should be great again. I was a little shocked when they offered me the job, it just seemed like a great place to coach." Foster once said. 1974-75, Foster's first season saw few highlights, but there was one. In the early 1970s the four North Carolina schools participated in a tournament called "The Big Four Tournament." Duke, taking on 8th ranked arch-rival North Carolina pulled off a shocker in upsetting the Tar Heels 99-96 in overtime. Foster began to slowly rebuild the program, bringing in one future great player a year. First, it was future All-American Jim Spanarkel in 1975, then future Duke great Mike Gminski in 1976. Those two joined senior prolific scorer Tate Armstrong for the 1976-77 season and things appeared early that Duke was back. The Devils started out 12-3 that year with wins over 15th ranked N.C. State and later at 15th ranked Tennessee. But it would not last. In a game up at Virginia, Tate Armstrong suffered a broken wrist and was lost for the season. The young Blue Devils full of potential but still a fragile unit would never recover but the next year would produce a season that would nearly stun the college basketball world.
In addition to talented returnees Spanarkel and Gminski, Foster added Indiana transfer Bob Bender who was on the Hoosiers legendary undefeated 1976 NCAA Champions and stunned everyone by getting a verbal commitment from one of the top players in America, Gene Banks. Joining Banks were two good players in Kenny Dennard and John Harrell from nearby North Carolina Central University. The 1977-78 Duke Blue Devils begin to gain steam after a mid January 92-84 win over 2nd ranked North Carolina. Duke would win 15 of their final 19 games, en route to a 27-7 season, a final ranking of 7th, a long awaited ACC Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Final Four. But the ride was supposed to end as Duke would be facing a 6th ranked Notre Dame team in the semi-final that fielded eight future NBA players. But Duke scored the upset 90-86 setting up the 1978 NCAA Championship game with powerhouse Kentucky. Duke fought admirably, but Kentucky was too experienced and had the weight of the world on their shoulders from fans back in the bluegrass who wanted that long awaited title. Still, despite the loss the future looked tremendous for Duke.
The 1978-79 season saw Duke as the nation's pre-season number one ranked team. The Devils dispatched 14th ranked North Carolina to win the Big Four Tournament for the first time but chemistry issues and bad luck with injuries would not recapture the magic of 1978. Duke shared the ACC regular season title, but illness and injury derailed both their ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament hopes as Duke finished 22-8 and 11th in the AP poll. Duke had another solid season in 1979-80 defeating 2nd ranked Kentucky in an early season matchup and winning another Big Four Tournament over 6th ranked North Carolina 86-74. Duke would assume the nations number one ranking for several weeks and start out 12-0 on the year. But an injury to valuable forward Kenny Dennard sent the team into an up and down league season. Duke regrouped with Dennard back for the ACC Tournament and won the 1980 ACC Tournament Championship, finished 14th in the AP poll, tallied a 24-9 season, advancing to the Elite 8 after an upset of Kentucky in the sweet 16 in Rupp Arena.
Foster guided Duke to a 113-64 (.638) record from 1975-80. Was named ACC coach of the year in 1978, won 2 Atlantic Coast Conference championships, as well as winning 2 Big Four titles, an ACC regular season title and of course leading Duke to the 1978 NCAA Final Four where they finished NCAA Runner Up. While Foster is overlooked in the wake of the achievements of Duke coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Vic Bubas, the Foster era returned Duke to national prominence and proved to be an extremely significant for the future of Duke basketball and no question helped future legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski in his successes.
[edit] South Carolina
Foster left Duke after six seasons to become the head coach at the University of South Carolina, succeeding legendary coach Frank McGuire. In December 1983, Foster's health became an issue when he suffered what doctors called a "moderate heart attack." He became ill late in a game against Purdue, which South Carolina won, 59-53, and later collapsed in the dressing room. Although he would recover, he was never quite the same as a coach and would eventually resign in 1986 after a losing season.
[edit] Northwestern
In April 1986 Foster was named head coach at Northwestern University, where he would finish his coaching career without the pressure of his previous positions.
