Ryan Foster

Title:
Assistant Coach (Distance) & Recruiting Coordinator
Email:
Ryan.Foster@tennessee.edu
Phone:
(865) 974-4000

The 2019-20 season marked Ryan Foster’s second year at Tennessee as an assistant coach for the distance group and recruiting coordinator for the track and field program.

THE FOSTER FILE

Coaching Experience

2011-13: Penn State, Volunteer Assistant
2013-14: Penn State, Director of Operations
2014-15: Penn State, Assistant
2016-18: Edinboro, Head XC/Assistant T&F Coach
2018-present: Tennessee, Assistant/Recruiting Coordinator

BY THE NUMBERS

24 Individual Conference Champions
4 Conference Freshman of the Year
10 All-Americans

AWARDS

2017 PSAC Women’s XC Coach of the Year
2017 USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Women’s XC Coach of the Year
2017-18 Edinboro University Coach of the Year
2018 USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Men’s T&F Regional Assistant Coach of the Year

Foster's first two cross country seasons on Rocky Top saw the Vols and Lady Vols record their best postseason performances in more than a decade. In 2018, the men’s team tabbed their best SEC (4th) and NCAA Regional (3rd) finishes since 2010 and 2002. In 2019, the Lady Vols posted their best conference (4th) and regional (3rd) outings since 2009.

This past season, Foster mentored middle distance runner Alex Kay to a UT freshman record in the men's 1,000 meter (2:26.97) at the Virginia Tech Invitational. Kay later went on to earn SEC All-Freshman Team honors in the 800 meter at the SEC Indoor Championships as the only rookie to compete in the final.

Foster also helped the Lady Vols return to the SEC podium in the distance medley relay in 2020, as Katie Thronson, Martina Weil, Nicole Adams and Olivia Janke combined for a time of 11:24.59 to place third at the conference meet. It was the first medal for UT in the event since 2012.

Foster was an All-American middle distance runner for coach Beth Alford-Sullivan at Penn State and later served on staff as an assistant coach and director of operations. He came to the Vols from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, where he spent two years as the head cross country coach and assistant coach for the middle- and long-distance runners.

In total, Foster has coached 24 conference champions, four conference Freshman of the Year awards winners and 10 NCAA Division II All-Americans.

He is joined on the Volunteer coaching staff by his wife, Kara Foster, who also ran for Coach Sullivan at Penn State and was a 10,000-meter All-American. She serves as a volunteer assistant coach for the distance events.

"Ryan was a standout All-American runner on my team at Penn State and has entered the coaching ranks with great success," Sullivan said. "Ryan brings to the table a great energy for the job of recruiting and filling out our squads here at Tennessee as well as continuing to help develop our middle distance and distance program. I'm thrilled to join ranks with him again and have his expertise as a young coach among my staff.

"Along with Ryan is his wife, Kara Foster, also an All-American 10K athlete for me at Penn State. She will be helping in many capacities as we move this program toward the podium. Together, they're a great team."

At Edinboro, Foster guided the women’s cross country team to a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) title in 2017 with five freshmen scoring.

Foster took the Edinboro women from an 11th-place finish in the Atlantic Region in 2016 to a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2017. He was named the PSAC and USTFCCCA Atlantic Region women’s cross country coach of the year following the 2017 season.

On the track, Foster made PSAC history with his student-athletes winning all men’s middle and long distance races at the 2018 conference championships. He was later named the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region Men’s Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year.

A native of Hobart, Australia, Foster received his degree in Economics from Penn State in 2011. He was a four-time Big Ten champion for the Nittany Lions, notably placing third in the 800 meters at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships and third in the mile in 2011.

As a professional runner in 2011-12, Foster set Australian national indoor records in the 800 meters and 1,000 meters and also competed in the IAAF World Indoor Championships, placing 19th in the 1,500 meters.

Away from the track, Foster also spent a year with the Tasmanian state government as the project manager for disability sports and served as chief of staff for Partners Financial Group, LLC. His non-profit work with Partners Financial and the Kevin Dare Foundation resulted in organizing a 10-person, 1,000-mile road race over seven states as a fundraising initiative.