Wichita State Athletics

Colin Foster was named the seventh head women's tennis coach at Wichita State on August 19, 2009 after a successful assistant coaching career at TCU.

Wichita State has continued their great women's tennis success under Foster in his four seasons as head coach. He guided the Shockers to the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles during each of his four seasons, qualifying them for the NCAA Tournament each of those years as well. He has yet to let one of his team's drop a match in conference play, as he boasts an impressive 28-0 record in MVC play. His players have also achieved tremendous individual success with senior Lutfiana Budiharto earning her third MVC Player of the Year award in 2012.

During the 2012-13 season, Foster helped Wichita State continue it's dominance in the Missouri Valley Conference by capturing the regular season and tournament titles for the fifth straight year. The Shockers played a tough non-conference schedule that prepared them for the conference season, finishing with a record of 15-11 on the season and 7-0 in conference play. Rebecca Pedrazzi earned MVC Freshman of the Year honors, giving a Wichita State freshman the award for the third consecutive year. 

In his third season at the helm for the Shockers, Foster led his team to a fourth consecutive MVC Championship. The Shockers were 21-6 overall on the season, including 7-0 in the conference season, moving Foster's MVC record to a perfect 21-0. The Shockers won the MVC tournament, moving themselves into the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Texas in the first round. With the guidance of Foster, the Shockers ended the season with a final ITA ranking of 62.

During the 2010-11 season, Foster led the Shockers to a 17-10 record and another perfect 7-0 record in the MVC. They defeated Illinois State in finals of the conference tournament, earning a birth into the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers fell to Clemson in the first round.

In his first year Foster led the Shockers to a 15-11 overall record and a perfect 7-0 in the MVC.  The Shockers defeated Illinois State to capture the 2010 MVC Conference Tournament, their 12th championship in school history.  With the victory they earned their fourth NCAA tournament berth in school history.

In his three seasons with the Horned Frogs, Foster helped create a Mountain West Conference power. He helped guide TCU to the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons in Fort Worth, sending players to the NCAA Individual Championships each year as well.

Foster mentored three All-Americans as an assistant, and was twice voted the ITA Southwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2009. The Horned Frogs won a pair of regular season championships during his time there, including the 2009 Mountain West Conference Tournament title.

Before launching his coaching career, Foster enjoyed a highly successful playing career at Purdue. He spent the majority of his senior year competing in the No. 1 position and finished his career as the team's Most Valuable Player. The Western Springs, Ill., native was also successful in the classroom, being named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team every year.

What others are saying about Coach Foster:

Jeff Hammond, Head Coach, TCU

"I'm really happy for Colin. A great program has found a great coach. It's a great match for both sides, and he'll do very well there. I'm extremely proud of him."

"[At TCU] Colin has taken the team and individual players to an extremely high level during his time here. There's no doubt he'll continue to do that in the future. He has a great tennis mind."

Jay Louderback, Head Coach, Notre Dame

"I've had the chance to coach against him at the NCAA tournament quite a few times. I was very impressed with how he handled his kids. He was terrific with on-court adjustments during matches to put his kids in a good position to win. I think he'll be a great fit at WSU."

"It seems like his kids always really like playing for him. It always helps you when your kids respect you and enjoy playing for you. He'll work them hard, but they'll enjoy him, too."

Mat Iandolo, Head Coach, Utah

"I've known Colin since he was a freshman at Purdue [while coaching women's tennis at Purdue]. I've really enjoyed watching him develop from a very good college player to a great college coach. Now he's been given the shot at coaching at a nationally ranked collegiate level, and I look forward to watching him excel there, too."

"I've known him for quite a while. He's a great guy with a great personality. He will be well-liked at WSU."