Northwestern hires Ben Greenspan as baseball coach after letting Jim Foster go #Northwestern #hires #Ben #Greenspan #baseball #coach #letting #Jim #Foster

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern has hired former Michigan assistant Ben Greenspan to coach its baseball team after it moved on from Jim Foster amid allegations of misconduct.

Greenspan was the associate coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan last season, after spending 2022 as the assistant coach at Cal Poly. In addition, he spent seven seasons as an assistant at Arizona State and six seasons on the baseball staff at Indiana.

“After an extensive nationwide search, Ben’s experience and coaching prowess quickly set him apart within the candidate pool,” Northwestern athletic director Derrick Gragg said Friday in a release. “At each of his stops, he has consistently showcased his ability to develop both players and programs. With a proven track record of recruiting top talent and fostering growth, we’re confident Ben will lead our baseball program to new heights.”

Foster was let go in mid-July, just days after Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald was dismissed because of a hazing scandal.

Foster coached the Wildcats for one season, going 10-40.

The Chicago Tribune and WSCR-AM reported that Foster led a toxic culture that prompted several assistant coaches to quit, and that his bullying and verbally abusive behavior prompted a human resources investigation by the university.

After Foster was let go, Gragg said: “This has been an ongoing situation and many factors were considered before reaching this resolution. As the director of athletics, I take ownership of our head coaching hires and we will share our next steps as they unfold.”

Greenspan said in a statement that the program will be built around Northwestern’s student-athletes.

“My job is to identify, recruit and develop young men to reach their highest potential individually and collectively as a team,” he said. “This Northwestern Baseball program will be humble, respectful, transparent, competitive and a point of pride for this great institution.”