Northwestern fires baseball coach Jim Foster, sources say - ESPN

Northwestern fired baseball coach Jim Foster on Thursday, sources confirmed to ESPN, after allegations of bullying and a toxic environment within the program.

Athletic director Derrick Gragg, who hired Foster in June 2022, informed players of the coach's dismissal, sources said.

Foster had been investigated by the university's human resources department before the season. The probe found evidence that Foster «engaged in bullying and abusive behavior,» according to a document obtained by the Chicago Tribune, and made an inappropriate comment about a female staff member.

The document was set to be shared with athletic department leaders to «take remedial action» against Foster, but he coached the season without any formal discipline, according to the Tribune.

Northwestern had several coaches depart the program in February, and the team struggled to a 10-40 record. After the season, 16 players reportedly entered the transfer portal.

Radio station 670 The Score in Chicago, which first reported Foster's firing, also reported that Foster discouraged players from seeking medical attention for injuries and that players hid their injuries from him. The station reported that Northwestern coaches and other staff members attempted to meet with Gragg but were denied an opportunity.

A source told ESPN that Foster likely would have been fired earlier, but Northwestern's legal and human resources department was focused on Monday's firing of football coach Pat Fitzgerald in the wake of a hazing investigation into the program. Fitzgerald, Northwestern's football coach since 2006, was fired three days after the school announced a two-week suspension upon completion of an investigation it had commissioned.

Foster came to Northwestern from