Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Welcome Chris Foster as Running Backs Coach
4/13/2023 3:09:00 PM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern Football has welcomed Chris Foster as the Wildcats' new running backs coach. With 19 years of coaching experience, Foster joins the Wildcats from East Carolina University, where he was the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator.
Foster rounds out the latest of coaching additions to Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald's staff which also includes defensive coordinator David Braun, wide receivers coach Armon Binns, defensive line coach Christian Smith and cornerbacks coach LaMarcus Hicks.
Last season under Foster, Eastern Carolina's running backs rushed for 5.2 yards per carry, second highest in the AAC, 2,218 yards, and 25 touchdowns. The ECU running backs room was led by Keaton Mitchell, a PFF All-American honorable mention, who ranked second in the nation with 7.22 yards per carry. Mitchell rushed for 1,452 yards which ranked second-highest in the conference and 12th best in the country.
Powered by Foster's rushing attack, the Pirates posted an 8-5 record in 2022 and knocked off Coastal Carolina 53-29 to win the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
In 2021, ECU went 7-5 and averaged 170.4 yards on the ground per game. In his first season with Foster, Mitchell became the first East Carolina running back to average over 100 yards per game since NFL All-Pro Chris Johnson did so in 2007. Mitchell ranked ninth in the country with 6.5 yards per carry.
In two years with Foster, Mitchell broke into ECU's top ten rushing leaders in program history with 2,492 rushing yards and set the program record with 7.0 yards per carry in his career. After being named First Team All-AAC in both his seasons as the starter, Mitchell is a projected day two pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Prior to his stint at East Carolina, Foster spent five years as the running backs coach, recruiting coordinator, and associate head coach at Georgia Southern where he mentored future NFL running back Matt Breida. Foster joined the Eagles staff in 2016 as the running backs coach and was quickly elevated to recruiting coordinator in 2018, before also taking on the role of associate head coach in 2019.
In his final season at Georgia Southern, Foster's running backs finished sixth in the country with 267.1 rushing yards per game and combined to rush for 2,427 yards and 17 touchdowns. Foster was named a nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant coach, alongside Northwestern defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz.
Foster's first season with the Eagles in 2016 saw the running backs combine to rush for 1,639 yards and 15 touchdowns while catching five touchdown passes. Leading rusher Matt Breida signed a free agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers following the 2017 NFL Draft and has since played for the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Giants.
Foster made a one-year stop at Maryville (TN) College before arriving at Georgia Southern. His rushing attack averaged 257.4 yards per game and tallied 29 rushing touchdowns. Foster mentored lead rusher Deshjion Whitlock, who was named first-team all-conference after averaging 5.9 yards per carry on 154 attempts and totalling 906 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
Foster coached the three prior seasons at Appalachian State, where he developed three all-conference selections and a pair of FCS All-America choices, including Marcus Cox, who set ASU rookie records with 1,250 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns, en route to being named the Southern Conference Freshman-of-the Year and placing second in voting for the Jerry Rice Award (NCAA Division I FCS Freshman-of-the-Year) in 2013.
Foster started his coaching career at his alma mater Gardner-Webb, where he coached running backs for eight seasons beginning in 2004 and helped produce a No. 1 total offense ranking in the Big South Conference (and 10th nationally). He also served as the Gardner-Webb staff's primary academic advisor and top recruiter, while additionally providing oversight of the program's strength and conditioning activities on an interim basis in 2006.
As a player at Gardner-Webb, Foster earned two All-Big South awards and ranked sixth in GWU history at the time of his graduation with 1,883 career rushing yards.
Coaching Experience
2021-2022 Eastern Carolina – Recruiting Coordination / Running Backs Coach
2016-2021 Georgia Southern – Associate Head Coach / Recruiting Coordinator / Running Backs Coach
2015 Maryville – Running Backs Coach
2012-2014 Appalachian State – Running Backs Coach
2004-2012 Gardner-Webb – Running Backs Coach
Playing Experience
2000-2003 Gardner-Webb – Running Back
