Adam RittenbergESPN Senior Writer Jul 13, 2023 7:32pm ET2 minute read
Northwestern fired baseball coach Jim Foster on Thursday, the school announced.
Foster’s dismissal came after allegations of bullying and a toxic environment within the program, sources said.
“Nothing will ever be more important to Northwestern than providing its students with a place that allows them to thrive in the classroom, in the community and competitively at the highest level and build a culture that allows our employees to thrive unfold,” Athletic director Derrick Gragg said in a statement. “This was an ongoing situation and many factors were considered before this solution was found. As Head of Athletics, I take responsibility for hiring our head coaches and we will share our next steps as they develop.”
Gragg, who hired Foster in June 2022, informed the players about the manager’s sacking, sources said.
Foster had been investigated by the university’s human resources department before the season. According to a document obtained by the Chicago Tribune, the investigation found evidence that Foster “engaged in bullying and abusive behavior” and made an inappropriate comment about a female employee.
The document was to be shared with athletic department chiefs to take “remedial action” against Foster, but he trained the season without formal discipline, according to the Tribune.
In February, Northwestern dropped several coaches and the team struggled to set a 10-40 record. After the season, 16 players are said to have entered the transfer portal.
Chicago radio station 670 The Score reported that Foster discouraged players from seeing a doctor about injuries and that players would hide their injuries from him. The channel also reported that Northwestern trainers and other staff tried to meet with Gragg but were denied the opportunity.
A source told ESPN that Foster likely would have been fired sooner, but Northwestern’s legal and human resources departments were focused on Monday’s firing of soccer coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a sensitive investigation into the program. Fitzgerald, Northwestern’s football coach since 2006, was fired three days after the school announced a two-week suspension following the conclusion of an investigation it had commissioned.
Foster came to Northwestern from the Army, where he coached from 2017-2022 and won four Patriot League titles.
Assistant coach Brian Anderson will oversee the program after Foster’s departure, the school said.