Marian University Ancilla is excited to announce Mr. Brian Foster as its new Men’s Basketball Head Coach. Foster, who played for the Chargers during the 2004-2005 season, returns following a roughly 20-year career in basketball that has seen him play professionally, as well as spend time as a coach, a personal trainer, and a mentor to many athletes in both St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties. “We couldn’t be more excited than to announce Coach Foster as the new leader of our men’s program. He brings a great deal of knowledge, first-hand experience in the Junior College world, plus he will help our young men move on to successful careers both in and outside of basketball,” exclaims MUAC Athletic Director, Jeremy Herring. “The fact that he played here, in addition to his success as both a player and professional following his time in Plymouth, serve as a great example as to what our student-athletes can achieve,” Herring continues.

A South Bend native and a 2002 graduate of James Whitcomb Riley High School, Brian Foster was a local standout for the Wildcats. As a Senior at Riley, Foster averaged 21 points per game, was the team’s Most Valuable Player, and earned 1st Team All-Conference honors, in addition to making the South Bend Tribune’s All-Metro All-Star team and the 2002 Indiana Basketball Coaches Association All-State team.

Foster began his collegiate career at MCCAA rival Glen Oaks Community College before transferring to Ancilla College in 2004. In his lone season with the Chargers, he averaged 26 points per game, tallied a total of 640 points during the 2004-2005 season, poured in a single-game high of 47 points against Kalamazoo Valley Community College, knocked down 13 3-pointers against Lansing Community College, on his way to 101 total 3-pointers that season, while also shooting 87.9% from the charity stripe…all still current records for the men’s basketball program. Additionally, Foster was the MCCAA scoring champion and free throw percentage champion that year, plus he was the MCCAA Player of the Year Runner-Up, made the Region 12 1st Team, the MCCAA 1st Team, and was invited to the Junior College stars workout.

Following his time in the MCCAA, Foster moved on to continue his career at NCAA Division-II Concord University (2005-2007) in Athens, West Virginia, where he played for Coach Steve Cox. While a member of the Mountain Lions, Foster scored 858 points and racked up another 131 3-pointers in just two seasons, earning 2nd Team WVIAC All-Conference honors as a Senior. In his final season for Concord, he helped them to the WVIAC Semi-Finals, averaging 20 points per game, while shooting 81% from the free throw line, and he tossed in an impressive 43 points against the #3 team in the country that year. Foster next moved on to play semi-professional basketball in the American Basketball Association from 2007-2012, which included time spent with the local Michiana Monarchs franchise.

Coach Foster’s coaching career began at the developmental level, working with student-athletes at Dickinson, Marshall, and Jackson Middle Schools in the sports of cross country, track, and boys’ basketball. He would later go on to join Mishawaka’s Marian Catholic High School girls’ basketball team as an assistant coach (2018-2023), where the Lady Knights secured three Sectional Championship titles. In 2022, he began his transition over to the Marian boys’ basketball staff, where the team won the Northern Indiana Conference during the 2023-2024 season. He has also maintained a role as an assistant coach with Marian’s cross country and track programs since 2019. Lastly, he has served as a coach and aided player development in the grassroots/travel basketball world, most recently founding and leading the Indiana Eclipse program.

“As an alumnus of Ancilla College, this program is more than just a job opportunity…it’s home,” Foster emphasizes. He continues, “my long-term goal as head basketball coach is to build a culture of excellence, discipline, and integrity, both on and off the court. I want to help young men develop into leaders who graduate as better athletes and as better people. We look to compete at the highest level, represent the college with pride, and create a program that our students, alumni, and local community are proud to support. My mission is to leave a lasting legacy that goes far beyond wins and losses…one built on accountability, family, and growth.” He finishes with, “in the short term, my goal at Marian Ancilla is to quickly establish a foundation built on that accountability, plus effort and unity. I would like to immediately elevate the culture, instill discipline in our daily habits, and create a competitive environment where our student-athletes are committed to growth academically, athletically, and personally. It will be about setting the tone, building trust, and laying the groundwork for sustained success.”

Foster has degrees in general studies and communication, and he is a Community Health Educator within the Beacon Health System. His focus is on helping families with QPR (suicide prevention), opioid awareness, and vaping education. Please help us welcome Brian, his wife Natasha, his daughter Nevaeh (20) who is a Junior on the women’s basketball team at Indiana University-Indianapolis, and his son Brandon (17), who is a Senior on the boys’ basketball team at Marian High School.