MBB HOKIES 17-18 | MEDIA GUIDE

H O K I E G R E A T S B I L L FOSTER V I R G I N I A T E C H H E A D C O A C H , 1 9 9 1 - 9 7 T H E B I L L F O S T E R BASKETBAL L SU I TE Bill Foster came to Blacksburg as a proven, successful basketball coach. Everywhere he coached — Miami, Clemson and UNC Charlotte — he won. But perhaps more importantly, he won with grace and integrity. During his time in Blacksburg, he proved that class shines through. Foster enjoyed many successes and milestones during his time at Virginia Tech. On Dec. 31, 1995, in New Orleans, the Hokies defeated Wright State to give Foster his 500th coaching victory. During that season, Tech climbed to eighth in the polls and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to eventual champion Kentucky. Tech finished the season ranked 22nd nationally. The previous season had seen perhaps Foster’s greatest accomplishment at Tech, as he led the Hokies to the 1995 NIT championship. Tech defeated Clemson, Providence, New Mexico State, Canisius and Marquette to capture the school’s second NIT title. During his six seasons at Virginia Tech, Foster amassed a 101-78 record and stands as the fourth-winningest coach in school history. Sadly, Coach Foster passed away on May 27, 2015, in Charlotte, North Carolina, following a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. The native of Hemingway, South Carolina was the only coach to serve as the head coach of three current Atlantic Coast Conference institutions (Clemson, Miami and Virginia Tech) and is among a handful of coaches in NCAA history to have multiple 20-win seasons at four different schools Foster was a 1958 graduate of Carson Newman. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee in 1961. He is survived by his wife Linda, daughters Leslie and Laura, and many grandchildren. In addition to their space in the Hahn Hurst Basketball Practice Center on game days, Virginia Tech players have the use of one of the best game-day locker rooms in the country — The Bill Foster Basketball Suite — donated by Pat and Sandy Cupp of Blacksburg in honor of Virginia Tech coaching great Bill Foster. The locker room was completely redesigned and reconstructed during the summer of 2017 and now has a more modern and functional feel. @VT_MBBall @vthokiembb VTMBBALL 48