Dick Foster

Head Coach (1975-1988)

The word “legend” is tossed around rather freely at times, but it is no exaggeration to say that Dick Foster is truly a legend as far as Coffeyville Community College football is concerned.  His success and influence on the young people he has come in contact with for the 16 years he has coached junior college football will never be forgotten.

Dick renewed the great tradition that had been established in the 1940s and 1950s and early 1960s.  When he arrived in Coffeyville in February of 1975, he promised the fans, boosters and supporters that he and his staff would bring back championship football, players and coaches that every Red Raven fan would be proud of.  He and his coaching staff of Mike Sweatman, Pat Henderson, Charlie Hampton and Nolan Luhn delivered and once again the Red Ravens began to be respected not only across the state of Kansas but across the nation.

During his 14 years as head coach, many outstanding players and coaches helped build on the great Red Raven tradition.  His teams went 127-23-2, he had 47 All-Americans, and over 30 young men went on to play professional football.  The Ravens were ranked in the top 15 in the national polls every year and finished as National Champs in 1983.  His teams played in 11 bowl games, winning eight.

Dick also coached at Fort Scott Community College, which won the NJCAA National Championship in 1970.  His total career record as a junior college head coach is 146 wins, 25 losses and 2 ties.  Dick is the only head coach in NJCAA history that has won a National Championship at two different schools.  At the present, he has the highest winning percentage, .850, of any head coach who has coached in junior college ball.  He was selected to the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame in the first class that was honored by the Association.

Dick coached high school football for 14 years in the Kansas City area where he grew up.  He was head coach at Fort Scott in 1969-70.  In December 1970, he joined Don Fambrough’s staff at the University of Kansas and coached there four football seasons until he left for Coffeyville.  After being head coach at CCC from February 1975 until June 1989, he retired from coaching and was appointed the first full-time recruiting coordinator at the University of Oklahoma.  He worked with many projects the eight years he worked with Donnie Duncan, Athletic Director and four head coaches.  He and his wife, Karen, returned “home” to Coffeyville after retiring.  He presently is a volunteer coach for his son, Skip, and is also working to organize the Lettermen’s Association here at Coffeyville Community College.

Dick has received many personal honors during his coaching career of more than 40 years.  This is the third Hall of Fame that he has been honored in.  Besides the NJCAA National Football Hall of Fame, he is in the Fort Scott Community College Hall of Fame.  He was selected as the Junior College Coach of the Year in 1970.  Dick has been recognized by the Kansas State Legislature six different times during his career.  He has had several articles published on both his football and education career and has spoken at numerous coaching camps and clinics.

He was recognized by The Coffeyville Journal as one of their “Legends” of Coffeyville during this century.  He was given the key to both cities of Coffeyville and Fort Scott.