More than a year after coach Spencer Allen stepped down, Northwestern baseball has found its man.

Jim Foster will coach the Wildcats, leaving his post at Army West Point after six seasons, the University announced Tuesday. The 2022 Patriot League Coach of the Year, Foster will arrive in Evanston after coaching the Black Knights to four straight NCAA tournament appearances.

“The chance to join a community of world-class coaches and educators, coach top student-athletes, play in a great ballpark, train in some of the best facilities in the game, and live in the Chicagoland baseball community makes for an exciting future at Miller Park,” Foster said in a news release. “We can’t wait to get to Evanston to settle in, meet everyone and get to work.”

Foster led Army West Point to a 162-140 record during his tenure. While there, he coached one All-American, a Patriot League Player, a Pitcher of the Year and 33 All-Patriot League selections.

Prior to coaching the Black Knights, Foster served as the associate head coach at Boston College. The program reached its first-ever Super Regional during his time in Chestnut Hill. Foster began his career as a head coach at Rhode Island in 2006, remaining there for nine seasons and becoming the winningest coach in program history.

At NU, Foster looks to revive a long-struggling program. The Wildcats last recorded a winning season in 2000 — before many of the program’s current players were born. 

Led by interim coach Josh Reynolds, NU finished 24-27 in 2022. The Wildcats’ 10-14 conference record placed it eighth among 13 Big Ten programs in 2022. 

In a news release, Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Derrick Gragg said Foster’s “combination of on-field success and student-athlete development” made him a standout candidate in the hiring process.

“His experience of leadership at West Point, an institution we have enormous respect for, is something that has prepared him for the academic environment our students thrive in,” Gragg said. “The future of Wildcats baseball is exceptionally bright with Jim at the helm.”

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Twitter: @charvarnes11

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