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BILL FOSTER
TECH ALL-TIME COACHING GREAT
Bill Foster
remains a fan
favorite of
the Hokies.
TECH GREAT BILL FOSTER
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Bill Foster came to Blacksburg as a proven successful
basketball coach. Everywhere he had coached, including Miami,
Clemson and UNC Charlotte, Foster had won. But perhaps more
importantly, Foster had won with grace and integrity. During his
time in Blacksburg, he proved that class shines through.
Foster enjoyed many successes and milestones during his
time at Virginia Tech. On Dec. 31, 1995 in New Orleans, the Hokies
defeated Wright State, to give Foster his 500th coaching victory.
During that season, Tech climbed to eighth in the polls and lost in
the second round of the NCAA Tournament to eventual champion
Kentucky. Tech finished the season ranked 22nd nationally.
The previous season had seen perhaps Foster’s greatest
accomplishment at Tech, as he led the Hokies to the 1995 NIT
Championship. Tech defeated Clemson, Providence, New Mexico
State, Canisius and Marquette to capture the school’s second
NIT title. During his six seasons at Virginia Tech, Foster amassed a
101-78 record with the Hokies and stands as the fourth-winningest
coach in school history.
“The people here were special to work with, including Coach
Beamer and President (Paul) Torgersen. The improvement we had
over four or five years was amazing to see. The NIT was a great
experience, as well as getting an NCAA bid the next year,” Foster
said.
Foster has a connection to the current era of Virginia Tech
basketball. Hokie head coach Seth Greenberg was a member of
Foster’s first staff at Miami. Greenberg gives much credit to his
former boss and will rely on Foster’s knowledge and experience in
helping mold his program in Blacksburg.
“Seth Greenberg is a bright young man who has built and
developed outstanding programs at both Long Beach State and
South Florida. He is a hard worker who has been a basketball
person since he was old enough to dribble a ball. I don’t know
anything but positives about Seth Greenberg,” Foster said.
“I was very fortunate that I had a lot of guys
who weren’t highly recruited, but became overachievers.
A lot of those guys weren’t interested
in individual statistics, but the team stats. I just
had a special group of overachievers.”
— Bill Foster
Foster celebrates with his players after notching his 500th coaching victory.
The basketball locker room and lounge at Tech is named in honor of Bill Foster.
Foster and his wife, Linda, arrive on the court to a
thunderous ovation for his final home game.
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