Foster eager to begin work at Chattanooga (The Associated Press)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Chattanooga athletic director David Blackburn was initially surprised to discover he might have a chance to hire Jim Foster as his women’s basketball coach. It isn’t very often a Hall of Fame coach with Final Four experience pursues a job at a mid-major program, even one that has reached nine NCAA tournaments over the last 13 seasons. ”I was (thinking), ‘This can’t be right,’ ” Blackburn said. It turned out Foster’s interest was legitimate. Foster was introduced Friday as the successor to Wes Moore, who left last month to take over North Carolina State’s program. Foster brings a 783-307 record and 35 years of head coaching experience to Chattanooga. The 64-year-old Foster will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on June 8 at Knoxville, Tenn. The former St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt and Ohio State coach believes he’s found the ideal place to cap his illustrious career. ”Chattanooga has always been a place we’ve been very fond of,”…
Chattanooga hires Foster as its women’s coach (The Associated Press)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Chattanooga has hired a future hall of famer as its next women’s basketball head coach. The university announced Thursday the hiring of Jim Foster, who will be inducted in less than a month into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. The former St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt and Ohio State coach has a 783-307 record and ranks 11th in NCAA history in career wins. Foster and Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer are the only men’s or women’s college basketball coaches at any level to win at least 200 games at three different schools. Foster, 64, was fired by Ohio State after going 18-13 this season, the only time in his 11-year tenure with the Buckeyes that they won fewer than 20 games and failed to reach the NCAA tournament. Foster is replacing Wes Moore, who took over North Carolina State’s program last month after making nine NCAA tournament appearances in 15 years at Chattanooga. ”Chattanooga has always been one of our favorite…
New coach wants OSU women to compete with elite (The Associated Press)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kevin McGuff stepped onto center court of Ohio State’s arena and called it an amazing day. The 43-year-old McGuff made his first official appearance as the new coach of the Buckeyes on Wednesday. After spending nine years as the head coach at Xavier and the past two at Washington, he said it was good to be back home and to take over a job that he had always wanted. Ohio State is paying McGuff $850,000 a year, not counting performance and academic bonuses, along with $500,000 in retention payments if he remains on the job through the 2020-21 season. McGuff, a father of six including a newborn, is on the hook for a $1.75 million buyout at Washington, where he signed a contract extension just three weeks ago.
Ohio State hires Kevin McGuff as women’s coach (The Associated Press)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kevin McGuff is the new women’s basketball coach at Ohio State, three weeks after signing a contract extension with the University of Washington. Ohio State announced the hiring Tuesday. The 43-year-old McGuff, who spent nine years as the head coach at Xavier before winning 41 games the last two seasons with the Huskies, follows Jim Foster, who was fired last month after the Buckeyes failed to win 20 games or make the NCAA tournament for the first time in his 11-year tenure. After seasons of 20-14 in 2011-12 and 21-12 last year, McGuff signed a contract extension with the Huskies through the 2019-20 season.
Foster seeks coaching spot after Ohio State firing (The Associated Press)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A month after he was fired for the first time in his life, former Ohio State coach Jim Foster isn’t done yet. Foster, who won 783 games and will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June, says he’s looking into the possibility of returning as a college head coach for a 36th season. Since being dismissed by Ohio State after an 18-13 season – his first without 20 wins and an NCAA tournament appearance in 11 years with the Buckeyes – the 64-year-old says he has updated his resume and didn’t find anything that would make him cringe. He’s looking forward to turning a new page elsewhere after winning 279 games and a record six straight Big Ten titles with the Buckeyes.
Foster not returning at Ohio State after 11years (The Associated Press)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jim Foster, who won 783 games at Saint Joseph’s, Vanderbilt and the last 11 years at Ohio State, will not return as women’s basketball head coach next season, Ohio State has announced. Foster, reached by phone, declined to offer any comment. Ohio State did not specify if he had been fired or was retiring. He compiled a record of 279-82 (.722) in his tenure with the Buckeyes, departing as the program’s winningest coach in victories and percentage. This season his team went 18-13 and tied for eighth in the Big Ten with a 7-9 mark. Passed over by the NCAA even though Ohio State hosts NCAA first- and second-round games this weekend, the Buckeyes declined to accept an offer to play in the WNIT.
Jim Foster not returning at Ohio State after 11 years (The Associated Press)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jim Foster, who won 783 games at Saint Joseph’s, Vanderbilt and the last 11 years at Ohio State, will not return as women’s basketball head coach next season, Ohio State announced on Tuesday. Miechelle Willis, the Ohio State executive associate athletic director who oversees the program, said it was a mutual decision. ”There has been some discussion with the postseason production, or lack thereof,” she said when asked the reasons behind the move. The end came after the first year he did not win 20 games with the Buckeyes nor lead the team to the NCAA tournament since taking over a losing program in 2002. The statement issued by Ohio State did not specify if Foster had been fired or was retiring. He compiled a record of 279-82 (.722) in his tenure with the Buckeyes, departing as the program’s winningest coach in victories and percentage. Foster, reached by phone by The Associated Press, declined to offer any comment. Asked if he was leaving the program voluntarily, the 64-year-old Foster repeated that he had nothing to…
Bentley, Lucas lead Penn St. past Ohio St., 76-66 (The Associated Press)
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) — Alex Bentley scored 20 points, Maggie Lucas added 18, and No. 8 Penn State beat Ohio State 76-66 Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. The top-seeded Lady Lions (25-4) had their difficulties in this one after earning a first-round bye and their second straight regular-season title with a 14-2 conference record. But they went on a big run early in the second half to break a tie and earn a spot in Saturday’s semifinals against the Michigan-Michigan State winner. Bentley was 8 of 13 from the field. Lucas, the Big Ten player of the year, hit three 3-pointers. Nikki Greene scored 17, and the Lady Lions shook off a slow start to shoot just over 49 percent in the game. Tayler Hill scored 23 for Ohio State (18-13) and became the fifth Buckeyes player to hit the 2,000-point mark. She now has 2,015 in her career, but it was a tough night overall, even though she tried to inject some suspense as the game…
Ohio State women eliminate Minnesota, 58-47 (The Associated Press)
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) — Tayler Hill scored 25 points to help Ohio State beat Minnesota 58-47 on Thursday in the opening round of the Big Ten Conference tournament. Ashley Adams added 14 points and eight rebounds for the ninth-seeded Buckeyes (18-12), who advanced to face top-seeded and eighth-ranked Penn State in the quarterfinals Friday. Rachel Banham had 20 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Golden Gophers (18-13) but didn’t get much help. Banham was 7 of 16 from the floor; her teammates were a combined 11 of 45. Ohio State trailed by as many as nine in the first half and was down 27-24 early in the second. But the Buckeyes took control after that, going on a 19-2 run, capped by Amber Stokes’ fast-break layup, to lead 43-29. The eighth-seeded Gophers could get no closer than nine points down the rest of the way. The Buckeyes scored 19 points off 16 Minnesota turnovers.
No. 8 Penn State pulls away in second half, 71-56 (The Associated Press)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Maggie Lucas scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half and No. 8 Penn State saved its best for last in beating Ohio State 71-56 on Sunday, the Nittany Lions’ 14th consecutive Big Ten win to set a school record. The victory, in which they outscored the Buckeyes 43-19 after halftime, also gave them their fastest start since the 1993-94 season. Alex Bentley scored 16 points and Nikki Greene had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Penn State (17-2, 7-0 Big Ten), which has won 11 in a row since a 67-52 loss at Connecticut on Dec. 6. It’s the sixth-longest winning streak in program history. Tayler Hill, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, had 28 points for Ohio State (11-9, 1-6), which had won the last six meetings at home against Penn State dating to Feb. 27, 2005. Ameryst Alston added 12. Ohio State guard Amber Stokes, co-captain and the reigning Big Ten defensive…
