Derrick Foster enters his first season on the Samford football coaching staff. Foster will coach the Bulldogs’ running backs.
Foster comes to Samford from Northwestern State University, where he coached running backs in 2013, and wide receivers in 2014 and 2015. While at NSU, Foster tutored some of the top receivers in program history.
Under Foster’s tutelage, Ed Eagan set the school single-season receptions record with his 73 catches surpassing the old mark by 19. Eagan also tied the single-game receptions record of 13 and established a new benchmark for single-game receiving yards, torching McNeese State for 238 yards.
In addition to Eagan’s exploits, Foster was instrumental in helping Bryant Mitchell make his way to the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos and guided Cody Jones to a productive junior campaign in Jones’ second season as a full-time wide receiver.
All of this came one season after Foster made the NSU running backs extremely productive in 2013.
Foster arrived at NSU in January 2013 from Derek Dooley’s 2012 coaching staff with the Tennessee Volunteers.
Foster joined Dooley’s staff for the 2012 season, assisting the offensive coordinator and helping coach running backs. The Volunteers finished third in the Southeastern Conference in total offense with 5,711 yards. He had office recruiting duties for junior colleges in California, Texas, Kansas, New York, Arizona and Illinois.
His coaching career began at Valdosta State in 2011 where he assisted head coach David Dean, offensive coordinator Robby Brown and the special teams coordinator, working with the punt team, and the return teams. He worked with wide receivers and helped produce an All-Gulf South Conference selection (32 catches, 551 yards, 6 TDs). Ten wide receivers had at least one catch, and while at Valdosta, Foster coached Seantavius Jones, now a receiver with the New Orleans Saints.
Foster was a three-year starting receiver at Southwest Baptist, including a record-shattering 2007 campaign. Foster played in 41 of 44 games, and had 93 career receptions. In 2007 he ranked sixth in the conference with 44 catches. He was a 1,000-yard rusher at Goshen High and an All-County running back.
Foster, a native of Goshen, Alabama, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Southwest Baptist in 2010 and a master’s in public administration from Valdosta State University awarded in 2013. Foster is married to the former Bianca Cooper.
