Jay Foster Joins UAlbany Football Staff
ALBANY, N.Y. -- University at Albany head football coach Greg Gattuso has announced the addition of Jay Foster to the staff for the 2015 season. Foster will be the Great Danes' defensive backs coach.
“His experience as a coordinator and his experience as a head coach is something we need on our staff,” said Gattuso of Foster. “He gives us someone with a lot of game experience to work with Coach [Bernard] Clark on defense. It's really nice having a guy who's been a head coach, for me, to bounce things off of sometimes.”
Foster comes to UAlbany after serving as the head football coach for Division II Clarion University in Pennsylvania for the past nine seasons.
In 2009, he led the Golden Eagles to an 8-3 overall record and a second-place finish in the PSAC-Western Division with a 6-1 league mark. Narrowly missing the NCAA Playoffs, Clarion finished the season ranked eighth in the final NCAA Division II East Region Poll and Foster was named the PSAC-Western Division Coach of the Year for his efforts.
Prior to Clarion, Foster spent 18 seasons on staff at Slippery Rock University (1988-2005). He served the first 12 years as recruiting coordinator, and the last 17 as defensive coordinator. During his tenure, Slippery Rock boasted a record of 120-73-4 (61.9%), including three NCAA Division II Playoff invitations and four straight PSAC-West titles (1997-2000). In 1998, Foster led SRU to the NCAA DII semifinals and a No. 2 national rank in 1999.
Foster earned his masters in physical education from West Chester University in 1987 where he served as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons and helped the Rams win back-to-back PSAC-East titles.
Foster attended Plymouth State College (N.H.) and was a starter his junior and senior years at free safety. He was an All-New England choice in 1983 and the team was selected for the NCAA Division III Playoffs in 1984.
A native of Berwick, Maine, Foster attended Noble High School and graduated in 1977. He was captain of both the football and basketball teams.
Foster and wife Dorry have three children -- Sons Zach and Thom and daughter Brogan.
