Rhode Island
GoLocalProv | Sports | Former RI Baseball Star and Coach at URI & Brown at Center of Abuse Allegations at Northwestern
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Jim Foster, Baseball Coach at Northwestern PHOTO: Army, Public Domain
Former Bishop Hendricken and Providence College baseball star Jim Foster is now at the forefront of multiple allegations of abuse.
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Northwestern University (NU) Baseball Coach Foster created an “abusive” environment in NU’s baseball program.
Foster has been at NU for one year — and fifteen players are currently in the transfer portal to leave the baseball team.
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The Northwestern school newspaper, The Daily Northwestern writes, “Some experts are predicting the team will not fill next year’s roster, while Pitching Coach Jon Strauss, Hitting Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Dusty Napoleon and Director of Operations Chris Beacom all stepped away from the program this year.
Former players, alumni and others first alerted university administrators about problematic behavior from the head coach last fall, according to the Tribune. A formal investigation into Foster’s coaching was opened in November 2022 after coaches submitted an HR report.”
The university’s internal investigation into Foster’s conduct found that he “engaged in bullying and abusive behavior,” according to HR documents obtained by the Tribune.
Efforts by GoLocal to reach Foster were unsuccessful.
Rhode Island Star
Foster played college baseball for the Providence Friars from 1990 to 1993.
He served as an assistant coach at Brown University, then the head coach of the Rhode Island Rams (2006–2014) and the Army Black Knights (2017–2022).
Selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 22nd round of the 1993 MLB draft, Foster played for the Orioles organization from 1993 to 1999, starting with the Bluefield Orioles.