Bradley University Athletics

The ninth coach in program history, Murphysboro, Ill., native Buddy Foster took over the head coaching reigns at Bradley in June 2005 and had an immedaite impact, leading the Braves to their first winning record since the 1995 last spring.

Foster guided Bradley to a 25-23 overall record and a tie for seventh place in the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference race a year after the Braves finished the season with a 16-35 overall record and were 10th in the Valley standings with a 3-23 record.

While Foster’s presence had a large impact on Bradley’s improved record, the most notable difference may have been in the team’s approach to the game. In addition to a much improved offense, Foster’s first team made vast improvements with it’s pitching staff.

The Braves crushed a school-record 26 home runs and boasted the highest team batting average since the 2000 campaign. Bradley’s .378 slugging percentage was the highest since the 1995 season and .319 on base percentage was the best since 1996. In the circle, the Braves owned a 2.24 Earned Run Average and the most strikeouts since the pitching rubber was moved back to its current distance in 1987.

Foster arrived on The Hilltop after a six-year stint as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois where he helped the Salukis to back-to-back regular-season Missouri Valley Conference Championships.

Foster spent a total of nine years as an assistant coach, including eight at the Division I level. His teams won four regular-season conference titles, made five NCAA Tournament appearances and combined for a 308-133-1 (.698) record over the last eight years. Even more impressive, teams he coached boasted a 135-44 (.754) record in conference play and finished third or higher in all but one of his eight years at the Division I level.

During his tenure in Carbondale, Ill., SIU posted a 239-103 (.699) overall record and went 103-40 (.720) in Missouri Vallely Conference regular-season play. The Salukis earned at-large bids to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments and went 131-45 (.744) overall and 60-15 (.800) in Valley play in his last three years at Southern Illinois.

"We are excited to have Buddy leading our staff," Bradley Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh said. "A native of the fertile Illinois softball community, he has a strong background of success as a coach and his first year at the helm of the Braves certainly demonstrated his quality capabilities. An integral part of SIU’s strong run during his tenure there, both within the Valley and on a national level, we believe that he is quickly building a strong foundation to bring such good fortune to BU. Likewise, it is comforting to know that he possesses the overall ingredients necessary to maximize the capabilities of our student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom. In turn, we eagerly anticipate Coach Foster developing our program into one that will consistently rank within the upper echelon of the Missouri Valley Conference, in our annual pursuit of the Valley’s automatic bid and beyond."

A 1991 graduate of Southeast Missouri State, he helped lead Southern Illinois to a Valley record 47 victories in 2005, in addition to a conference record for league wins as the Salukis claimed the regular-season championship for the second consecutive year with a 24-3 mark.

"I was pleased with the progress we made last year and look forward to continuing to build a strong program at Bradley," Foster said. "We have a lot of things going for us and expect to continue to improve year in and year out."

Ranked 20th in the final regular season poll in 2005, Southern Illinois set a school record with 67 home runs and was ranked in the final NFCA poll for the third consecutive year. During his tenure at SIU, the Salukis had two individuals earn Valley Pitcher of the Year honors, in addition to two Newcomer of the Year awards, while the coaching staff garnered Valley Coaching Staff of the Year honors each of the last four years.

SIU also had 14 first-team All-Valley selections, 19 first-team Valley scholar-athletes and a three-time Academic All-American in the last six years. While Amy Harre, the 2005 MVC Pitcher of the Year, was the #1 selection in the 2005 National Pro Fastpitch draft.

In addition to serving as the recruiting, travel and camp coordinator, Foster assisted with the fund-raising efforts at SIU and his responsibilities also included working as the Salukis’ hitting instructor.

Foster was an assistant coach at his alma mater for two years (1998 and 1999 seasons), prior to his stint at Southern Illinois. He helped guide SEMO to two Ohio Valley regular-season and tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances. While at the Cape Girardeau, Mo., school, SEMO posted a 69-30-1 (.695) overall record, including a 32-4 (.889) Ohio Valley mark in his two seasons. SEMO’s recruiting and travel coordinator, Foster’s responsibilities also included serving as the team’s pitching coach, where he coached two OVC Pitchers of the Year.