Foster named to head MUAC men’s basketball
DONALDSON — Marian University Ancilla has named 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 basketball career 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,” said 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, serves as a great example of what our student-athletes can achieve.”
A South Bend native and a 2002 graduate of Riley High School, 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, and tallied a total of 640 points. He had 101 total 3-pointers that season, while also shooting 87.9% from the charity stripe, 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.
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, and he would later go on to join Mishawaka Marian’s 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 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 said. “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. In the short term, my goal at Marian Ancilla is to quickly establish a foundation built on that accountability, plus effort and unity. 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.
