Northwestern has fired another head coach.
Head baseball coach Jim Foster has been let go amid a bullying scandal, the university confirmed in a statement Thursday night.
The move comes just days after the school relieved head football coach Pat Fitzgerald following an investigation into alleged hazing.
“Nothing will ever be more important to Northwestern than providing its students a place that allows them to develop in the classroom, in the community, and in competition at the absolute highest level, and building a culture which allows our staff to thrive,” Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg said in the statement.
“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.”
Assistant coach Brian Anderson will take over the program during the transition period, the release said.
The separation process between Foster and the university began a “while back,” according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.
Foster was under fire after a university investigation found evidence that he had “engaged in bullying and abusive behavior,” “made an inappropriate comment regarding a female staff member and spoke negatively about his staff to other staff members,” The Chicago Tribune reported.
The school said in a message to parents, according to the Chicago Tribune, that part of the school’s decision came from “authentic feedback we received from your student-athletes in postseason surveys.”
The Tribune reported Monday that players and alumni had tipped off the university about Foster’s actions last fall before he took the helm as head coach for his first season.
Foster was described in the report as “cold at times” and “combative.”
He had also been known to direct “expletive-laced tirades” at members of the staff.
According to the Tribune report, at least six players met with Gragg or others from the athletic department to address Foster’s behavior.
Foster’s actions are also believed to be a big reason behind the mass exodus from the team, which saw three coaches and staff members last year.
The program had 16 players enter the transfer portal after a 10-40 season.
Foster had coached for nine years at the University of Rhode Island and six years at Army West Point before going to Northwestern.
All of this comes as Northwestern deals with the fallout of firing Fitzgerald, who was let go amid hazing allegations on the football team.
A report — first citing an anonymous player — first from The Daily Northwestern, the school’s student newspaper, detailed some of the alleged hazing on the football team involved coerced sexual acts and that Fitzgerald may have known about the hazing.
Fitzgerald hired legal counsel Dan Webb and is exploring potential legal options.
He has maintained he had no knowledge of any hazing on the football team.