Men's Soccer
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Phone:
- 719-333-3628
Chris Foster enters his 17th season as a member of the Air Force men’s soccer coaching staff and his fifth season as the associate head coach in 2022. At the conclusion of the 2021 campaign, coach Foster helped lead the Falcons to their sixth-straight WAC Tournament appearance since 2016, highlighted by the program's first-ever WAC Tournament Championship in 2020.
The 2020 tournament run marked the league's first-ever six-seed to win the tournament, upending the top-three seeds en route to the title. Foster then helped his Falcons to the program's 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, third in the last six seasons. Foster and company's success on the pitch yielded a 2020 United Soccer Coaches Far West Regional Staff of the Year honor. It was the third Staff of the Year award in the last six seasons.
In 2018, Foster helped lead the Air Force men’s soccer program to its most successful season to date, notching a historic 17-win season and NCAA tournament Sweet 16 appearance. Under his guidance, the Falcons shattered a number of Academy records in the campaign, setting the bar for the most wins by any soccer team in Academy history as well as a new record for the most home wins as Air Force concluded the season with a perfect 10-0 record on the home pitch.
The Falcons upended three nationally-ranked opponents on the season, including a spectacular win against No. 9 University of Denver on the Pioneers’ home pitch in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Air Force attained its highest ranking of the season at No. 7, the third-highest national ranking in the history of the program.
The Falcons’ success on the pitch garnered a Western Athletic Conference regular-season title and the Far West Regional Coaching Staff of the Year accolade, marking Foster and company’s second-straight year winning the regional honor. For the second season in a row, the Falcons produced two USCA All-Americans in first-teamer Tucker Bone and third-teamer Austin Dewing, both of which shared a team co-captaincy for the 2018 campaign. Tucker Bone, a 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy semi-finalist, and Andrea Seazzu were crowned the WAC’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, while the squad saw program-high 11 players added to All-WAC teams --three to the first-team, one to the second-team, six honorable mentions and one on the All-Freshmen team. In all of his time spent with the program, Foster has coached 51 all-conference honorees.
Prior to the 2018 season, Foster helped the Falcons achieve great success in 2017, finishing with a 14-1-3 record and a program-first WAC regular season championship en route to the program’s first visit to the NCAA tournament since 2012. The stellar 2017 season landed the Falcons two USCA All-Americans, five all-region selections and eight All-WAC nods. The All-America honors mark the first time that Falcons have been recognized as All-Americans in 20 years and the first of Foster’s career as a collegiate coach. The duo joined the elite ranks of six individuals (seven times) to earn All-America status with Air Force men’s soccer. Hill earned the WAC’s 2017 Coach of the Year honors while the entire coaching staff was dubbed the West Region Coaching Staff of the Year. The Falcons finalized the season ranked 15th in the nation while boasting an undefeated home record (8-0-3).
In 2016, Foster and company helped lead the Falcons to a second-place finish at the Western Athletic Conference Championship and concluded the season with the second-most program wins with an overall record of 14-7-1. Under his guidance, four Falcons earned spots on the leagues 2016 post-season All-WAC teams.
Foster also had a hand in guiding the Falcons to new heights in the 2012 season, where he helped guide the team to a 2012 MPSF Championship title and an NCAA tournament invite, a type of success that the program had not seen in nearly 15 years.
Foster, who is retired from the Air Force, is a 1989 graduate of the Academy with a degree in engineering mechanics. He also earned an MBA and a master of military operational arts and science; was a distinguished graduate of both Squadron Officers School and the Air Command and Staff College; and is a graduate of Air War College.
A four-year starter for Air Force, Foster is No. 2 on AFA’s career list for points (139) and goals (54) and the program’s career assist leader (31). He was a four-time all-conference selection, three-time all-region selection, earned All-America honors in 1988, and represented the West in the College Senior Bowl. At graduation, he was the first soccer player to receive the USAFA Male Athlete of the Year award. He was a member of the 1989 University Games Team, played on the U.S. National “B” Team (1988-90) and represented the United States on the Senior Division National Team.
Following graduation, Foster was stationed at the Academy as an instructor and assistant soccer coach and played professionally for the Colorado Foxes in the APSL’s inaugural season. He attended undergraduate pilot training at Williams AFB, Ariz., where he was awarded the Daedalian Trophy for flying excellence, and was stationed at Holloman AFB, N.M., where he played for the New Mexico Chiles in the USISL.
Foster has been stationed at Bitburg and Spangdahlem AB, Germany; Tyndall and Eglin AFB, Fla.; RAF Valley, Wales; Langley AFB, Va., and NAS Keflavik, Iceland. He is a command pilot with over 1,500 hours in the F-15C, including over 250 combat hours. Prior to his retirement, he was the 306 FTG Liaison to the Academy and an instructor pilot at the Academy airfield.
Foster is the father of two children, Christopher and Kylie.
