To provide some background on coach Foster, the following information has
been excerpted from the Cal Football Media Guide of 2002 that introduced new head
coach Jeff Tedford - and his first-year staff.
From the 2002 Cal Media Guide:
Returning to football after a two-year retirement, former UC Davis head coach Bob
Foster begins his 37th season as a college or high school coach and his first
year as Cal's linebacker coach.
Foster retired from coaching in 2000 after serving as defensive coordinator
for Oregon in 1998-99 - a period in which the Ducks reeled off records
of 8-4 and 9-3. The Clovis, Calif., native previously coached 19 years at UC Davis,
including a highly successful four-year run as the Aggies' head coach
from 1989-92. During that four-year span, he steered UC Davis to a 30-11-1 record and
NCAA Division II playoff berths in both 1989 and 1992.
He began his coaching tenure at Davis in 1971, coaching linebackers for seven
years before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1978. In his 11 seasons
as the Aggies' defensive coordinator, Foster's teams ranked ninth
nationally in total defense (216.4 ypg.) in 1981, fourth in rushing defense (97.3 ypg.) and
sixth in scoring defense (12.6 ppg.) in '82, and fifth in scoring defense
(10.2 ppg.) in '84. Among his players during that period were two current (in
2002) members of the Oregon staff - head coach Mike Bellotti and defensive coordinator
Nick Aliotti and present Boise State offensive coordinator Chris Petersen.
Foster began his coaching career at his alma mater as a freshman coach in
1963-64. He also served as an assistant coach at Vanden High School in Fairfield
from 1965-70 and as a defensive consultant at Willamette University from
1995-97.
As a Player:
Foster was a four-year lettermen at running back at UC Davis from
1958-61 and was inducted into UCD's Athletic Hall of Fame this past
June (2001).
Personal: (information from 2002)
Foster, 61, was born Jan. 12, 1941 in Clovis, Calif. Fly
fishing is his favorite
hobby. He and his wife, Carol, live in Emeryville. They have two grown
sons, Scott and Luke.
Bear Insider Comment:
Cal is clearly gaining (regaining) a wealth of
coaching experience with Bob Foster.
Notes of Interest:
The Coaching Round Robin.
Justin Wilcox, the just departed linebacker coach at Cal, was a standout
defensive back at Oregon from 1995 to 1999, the latter two years playing
for Bob Foster who was the defensive coordinator at Oregon.
Two years after graduating from Oregon, Wilcox was hired as Boise
State's outside linebacker coach, working for Bob Gregory who was defensive
coordinator there.
When Bob Gregory joined coach Tedford's first-year staff at Cal as defensive
coordinator - with Bob Foster as linebacker coach - Wilcox remained at Boise
State for
the year when the
Broncos
built
a 12-1 record, a #15 national ranking, and a 34-16 win over Iowa State
in the Humanitarian Bowl.
Following Foster's retirement from his position at
Cal after
the 2002 season, Wilcox made the move to become linebackers coach at Cal.
And now, as Wilcox departs? He's headed for the defensive coordinator
slot at Boise State.
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