Northwestern fires baseball coach Jim Foster after bullying probe

Northwestern fired head baseball coach Jim Foster on Thursday after reports alleged he fostered a culture of bullying and verbal abuse in his one and only season on the job.

670 The Score in Chicago originally reported that Foster made racially insensitive comments, made an inappropriate remark to a female staffer and discouraged players from seeking medical attention when needed. The report also said Northwestern conducted a human resources investigation yet did not speak to players on the baseball team.

"Nothing will ever be more important to Northwestern than providing its students a place that allows them to develop in the classroom, in the community, and in competition at the absolute highest level, and building a culture which allows our staff to thrive," athletic director Derrick Gragg said in a statement. "This has been an ongoing situation and many factors were considered before reaching this resolution. As the Director of Athletics, I take ownership of our head coaching hires and we will share our next steps as they unfold."

Foster is the second head coach Northwestern has fired this week. On Monday, the school cut ties with football coach Pat Fitzgerald after an investigation found evidence that supported allegations of hazing within the program.

Foster was hired in 2022 from Army, where he led the program to four conference titles. Northwestern baseball finished 10-40 in 2023, and 670 The Score reported that about 15 players planned to transfer to get away from the coach.

Northwestern said that assistant coach Brian Anderson would lead the program "during this time of transition."