Northwestern fires head baseball coach amid allegations of ‘bullying and abusive behavior,’ per report

Northwestern has fired head baseball coach Jim Foster, the school announced on Thursday.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the firing comes amid allegations that Foster “engaged in bullying and abusive behavior.”

Per the report, Foster was investigated by the school’s human resources department. The investigation found “sufficient evidence” that Foster harbored a toxic environment within the program, according to an internal HR document obtained by the Tribune.

According to the document, Foster “made an inappropriate comment regarding a female staff member, and spoke negatively about his staff to other staff members.”

The document, per the Tribune, says results from the investigation were shared with leaders within the school’s Department of Athletics and Recreation “to take appropriate remedial action.” It is unclear if any punishment was handed down to Foster as he coached the team this year.

“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 Thursday.

“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 led the Wildcats to a 10-40 record in his first season with the school this past year. Foster previously coached Army from 2017-2022, where he helped lead the Black Knights to four Patriot League titles.

Assistant coach Brian Anderson was subsequently named the head coach of the Wildcats, the school added.

Foster’s firing comes days after the school fired longtime head football coach Pat Fitzgerald after allegations of hazing within the Wildcats football program.