William "Bill" Foster (1994) - Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame

William "Bill" Foster

Induction:
1994

Bill Foster ushered in the first truly successful era in Rutgers basketball history. His eight teams posted a 120-75 record, following a 22-7 mark in 1966-67 with a 21-4 mark in 1968-69. That 1966-67 team earned a third-place finish in the NIT, becoming the first Rutgers basketball team to reach post-season play. Eight of his players are currently in the top 50 in all-time scoring, including Bob Lloyd, Rutgers' first All-American, first 2,000-point scorer, and the late Jim Valvano. Both were members of the inaugural Hall of Fame class. In 1971-72, Foster became the head coach at Utah and then went on to Duke where he led the Blue Devils to the 1978 NCAA Championship game. Foster also had head coaching stints at South Carolina and Northwestern and has served as the associate commissioner of the Southwest Conference. His commitment and dedication epitomizes the true meaning of college basketball and he was honored by his colleagues as president of the National Association of College Basketball Coaches in 1976-77. Foster also served as the first vice president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.