Northwestern fired baseball coach Jim Foster on Thursday after an internal investigation found he engaged in “bullying and abusive behavior.”
The decision comes three days after Northwestern fired longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal.
The university announced Foster’s dismissal in a statement from athletic director Derrick Gragg.
“Nothing will ever be more important to Northwestern than providing a place for its students to thrive in the classroom, community and competition at the absolute highest level, and building a culture that enables our staff to thrive. ‘flourish,’ said the statement reads. “This is a continuing situation and many factors were considered before reaching this resolution.
“As athletic director, I’m taking charge of our head coaching hires and we’ll share our next steps as they unfold.”
Foster’s ousting comes after a Chicago Tribune report found that current and former players, alumni and people close to the baseball program accused Foster of problematic behavior dating back to last fall, when the coach freshman joined the program. The complaints sparked an internal investigation that found “sufficient evidence” that Foster “engaged in bullying and abusive behavior,” according to an academic document obtained by the Tribune.
According to the document, Foster “made an inappropriate comment regarding a female staff member and spoke negatively about her staff to other staff members.” The document did not elaborate on the complaints, the Tribune reports. Sources close to the program told the Tribune that Foster would direct expletive tirades at his staff and pressure players to return more. soon after an injury or risk losing their place in the lineup.
Batting coach and recruiting coordinator Dusty Napoleon, pitching coach Jon Strauss and operations manager Chris Beacom all left the team during the season before the allegations against Foster came to light. Northwestern finished 10-40 this season and 16 players entered the transfer portal at the end of the season, according to the Tribune.
The Tribune published the report on Monday. Three days later, Foster was fired.
Foster joined Northwestern in 2022 after six seasons as an Army head coach. Assistant coach Brian Anderson will take charge of the program “during this transition period,” according to the university.