Cal State San Marcos Athletics

B.J. Foster was named Head Men's Basketball Coach at CSUSM in May 2017. Foster spent the 2016-17 season as the team's Interim Head Coach and was the lead assistant for three years prior. 

In his first year as the official head CSUSM men’s basketball coach, Foster guided the Cougars to a third-place finish in the CCAA with 15 conference wins, three more than the previous season. The Cougars made their first postseason appearance, hosting the first round of the CCAA Tournament at The Sports Center.

The Cougars posted their best-ever regular-season finish to CCAA play in 2022-23 as they finished second with a 17-5 conference record and a 20-11 overall record. CSUSM was the runner-up at the CCAA Tournament and qualified for its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament as the sixth seed in the West Regional. The Cougars earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament win with a 72-62 victory over third-seeded Azusa Pacific before falling to eventual West Regional champion Cal State San Bernardino in the second round. Quinn Denker was named to both the CCAA Tournament Team and the NCAA West Regional Tournament Team. Greg Milton III earned All-CCAA first-team honors while Quinn Denker, Jayce McCain and Joel Mensah earned second-team honors.

Foster led CSUSM to its best-ever season as an NCAA member in 2021-22. Finishing the season with an overall record of 20-5 and a third-place finish in the CCAA standings at 13-4, the Cougars rallied to win the program's first CCAA Tournament Championship and make their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance as the top seed in the West Regional. Jayce McCain and Blake Seits earned All-CCAA first-team honors while Alex Gil-Fernandez and Greg Milton III earned second-team honors. Seits was named the MVP of the CCAA Tournament and went on to participate in the NCAA Division II All-Star Game.

The Cougars improved upon their win total in 2019-20 by three games overall and two games in CCAA play. Khalil Fuller earned All-CCAA second team honors for the second time while newcomer Blake Seits was named as an honorable mention. CSUSM also posted its best team GPA in program history in the spring of 2020 at 3.35.

The 2018-19 season saw newcomer Khalil Fuller earn All-CCAA second team honors while the team as a whole battled against multiple injuries throughout the season. Fuller and teammate Darae Elliott were each named the CCAA Player of the Week during the season.
 
In the 2017-18 season, several Cougars earned individual accolades. Ethan Alvano became CSUSM’s first CCAA Player of the Year in school history and joined Josh Spiers on the All-CCAA first team. Joe Boyd and Brian Wright earned All-CCAA second team and honorable mention honors, respectively.   

In Foster's first year at the helm in 2016-17 as the interim head coach, the Cougars finished 18-10 overall and finished fifth in CCAA play at 12-8. CSUSM's required transition period to becoming a full member of NCAA Division II made the Cougars ineligible for postseason play. Four Cougars were named All-CCAA, including Ethan Alvano who took home first team and Newcomer of the Year honors. 

The Cougars went 77-18 (.811) in Foster's three seasons as an assistant to Jim Saia, including a 36-3 mark at home.

Foster helped guide the Cougars to a 15-12 overall mark in their first year of NCAA Division II and CCAA competition in 2015-16. CSUSM finished 11-9 in CCAA play, sixth in the conference standings, and would have qualified for the CCAA Championship Tournament had it been eligible. Three of Foster's recruits, including first-teamer Darnell Taylor, were named All-CCAA at year's end. 

Foster helped mentor three NAIA All-Americans and nine All-Association of Independent Institutions (AII) selections at CSUSM over his first two seasons on campus. CSUSM went 32-2 in 2013-14 and made it all the way to the NAIA quarterfinals. The Cougars won their first-ever AII conference title and were the No.1-ranked team in NAIA for seven straight weeks. CSUSM put together its second straight 30+ win season in 2014-15, going 30-4 overall while winning its second consecutive AII title. The Cougars spent three weeks at No. 1 and advanced to the NAIA quarterfinals for the second straight year.

Prior to joining CSUSM, Foster had been involved with the NAIA and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) for 15 years, 11 as a coach and four as a player.

As an assistant coach at Biola (2007-13), Foster concentrated on recruiting, game preparation, scouting, scheduling and academic advising. As a part of Dr. Dave Holmquist’s staff, Foster helped the Eagles to four NAIA tournaments, three straight appearances in the NAIA Final Eight (2010-12) and a GSAC tournament championship in 2012. BU went 153-77 (.665) during Foster’s tenure as an assistant.

Combined with his time at CSUSM and Biola, Foster has recruited and mentored the following NAIA All-Americans: Blake Nash (2014-15), De’End Parker (2013-2014), Malcolm Lemmons (2013-2014), David Cline (2012-13), Given Kalipinde (2011-12) and Dwight Gordon (2010-11).

Prior to his appointment at BU in 2007, Foster spent two years at Vanguard University helping the Lions to the 2006 NAIA Tournament, which at the time, was their second trip to the postseason competition in the school’s history.  Foster served as an assistant for his alma mater, Point Loma Nazarene, for two seasons from 2002-04.  He helped get PLNU to the NAIA tournament in 2003.

Foster started his playing career in the 1998-99 season for PLNU, scoring 1,396 points over three seasons which ranked him 11^th all-time. He was a two-time All-GSAC performer and a two-time NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. In 1999-00, he led PLNU to its first NAIA National Tournament appearance in 20 years. The Sea Lions won 28 games that year, still their most wins at PLNU since the 1983-84 campaign. Foster transferred to Biola for his senior season in 2001-02. In his lone season with the Eagles as a player, Biola won its only regular-season conference championship and Foster was again rewarded as an All-GSAC selection. Biola was ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the NAIA coaches’ poll throughout the season before being upset in the second round by the eventual national champion. Foster averaged 13.5 points, 4.3 boards and shot 45 percent from the field that season.

BJ is the son of long-time PLNU head basketball coach Ben Foster, who headed the Sea Lion program from 1974-88 and 1989-92. The elder Foster also played at PLNU as a student-athlete from 1965-68. Both B.J. and Ben are in the school’s top 20 in career points, single-season scoring average and single-season point total. 

A native of Point Loma, Foster graduated from Point Loma High School in 1997. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from PLNU in 2003 and his master’s degree in Coaching, Sports Administration & Exercise Science from Concordia (Calif.) in 2007. He and his wife, Dawn, have two children, Henry and Faith.

 

Head Coaching Record Team Year Record Postseason/Honors/Notes CSUSM 2022-23 20-11 (17-5 CCAA) CCAA Tournament Runner-Up; NCAA West Regional Second Round CSUSM 2021-22 20-5 (13-4 CCAA) CCAA Tournament Champions; NCAA West Regional CSUSM 2020-21 N/A Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CSUSM 2019-20 12-16 (8-14 CCAA) CSUSM 2018-19 9-19 (6-16 CCAA) CSUSM 2017-18 20-9 (15-7 CCAA) CCAA Tournament CSUSM 2016-17 18-10 (12-8 CCAA) Ineligible for postseason play due to CSUSM's required transition period to NCAA Division II. Total 7 seasons 99-70 (.586)

   

Assistant Coaching Record Team Year Record Postseason/Honors/Notes CSUSM 2015-16 15-12 NCAA DII & CCAA Debut CSUSM 2014-15 30-4 NAIA Tournament 3rd Rd CSUSM 2013-14 32-2 NAIA Tournament 3rd Rd Biola 2012-13 16-15 Biola 2011-12 27-9 NAIA Tournament 3rd Rd Biola 2010-11 28-6 NAIA Tournament 3rd Rd Biola 2009-10 29-6 NAIA Tournament 3rd Rd Biola 2008-09 22-10 NAIA Tournament Biola 2007-08 17-14 Biola 2006-07 15-16 Vanguard 2005-06 20-13 NAIA Tournament Vanguard 2004-05 10-19 Point Loma 2003-04 15-18 Point Loma 2002-03 22-12 NAIA Tournament Total 14 seasons 298-156 (.656)

 

Collegiate Career Team Year Record Postseason/Honors/Notes Biola 2001-02 29-5 GSAC Champions, All-GSAC, NAIA National Tournament 2nd Rd Point Loma 2000-01 15-14 NAIA Honorable Mention All-America, Team MVP, All-GSAC Point Loma 1999-00 28-7 NAIA Honorable Mention All-America, Team MVP, All-GSAC, NAIA Tournament Point Loma 1998-99 14-18 Total 86-44 (.662)