Mark Foster was hired as the seventh Trojan head soccer coach on Jan. 16, 2018. Since his arrival, the Trojans won their first-ever Sun Belt Tournament Championship, advancing to the First Round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament in 2018. He has also coached seven players to All-Conference awards with five conference all-tournament honors.

During the 2021 season, Foster guided Little Rock to nine clean sheets on the year while ranking 81^st nationally and second in the Sun Belt with a .400 shutout percentage. The Trojans also ranked 98^th nationally and second in the league with a 1.028 goals against average
 
Foster coached the Trojans to four clean sheets during the COVID-impacted 2020 season as the team ranked 81^st nationally and second in the Sun Belt with an .816 save percentage while ranking 86^th nationally and fourth in the league by averaging 5.07 saves per game. Little Rock’s 1.081 goals against average ranked third in the Sun Belt and 135^th nationally while she was responsible for Morgan Smocovich receiving second team all-conference honors.
 
Thanks to Foster’s guidance, Little Rock recorded six straight unbeaten matches and eight clean sheets during the 2019 season. The savvy Trojans ranked 13^th nationally and led the Sun Belt with a league-best 6.53 fouls per game and her coaching led Julia Edholm to receive All-Sun Belt Second Team honors.
 
Little Rock made its first NCAA Tournament appearance and won its first Sun Belt Conference Tournament in 2018 as Foster made an immediate impact on the Trojans in her first year as an assistant coach. The Trojans registered 13 clean sheets in a 13-5-4 season that saw eight consecutive unbeaten matches for the Maroon and Silver. Little Rock finished the historic season ranked 55^th nationally and second in the Sun Belt with a 0.868 goals against average, ranked 73^rd nationally and second in the league with a .813 save percentage and, perhaps most impressively, ranked 23^rd nationally while leading the Sun Belt with a .545 shutout percentage. The 2018 season saw a record five Trojans named all-conference with four receiving first team honors. Little Rock had five players named to the conference’s all-tournament team including Jaclyn Purvine receiving MVP honors.

Foster comes to Little Rock after spending the past season at Sun Belt Conference rival South Alabama, serving as an assistant coach. In 2017, Foster helped lead the Jaguars to both the Sun Belt regular season and tournament titles as South Alabama finished 14-6-1 overall and 9-1-0 in conference play, advancing to the NCAA tournament.

Prior to his time in Mobile, Foster spent six seasons at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee, spending the last four as the Trojans' head coach. During his time at his alma mater, Foster compiled an overall record of 40-27-8, making his mark as the second-winningest coach in program history.

In his four seasons at the helm of the Trojans, Foster posted a 29-13-6 mark in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play, finishing first in 2016 and tying for second in 2014. He was twice named the G-MAC Coach of the Year (2014 and 2016), posting two of the top-three winningest seasons in Trojan program history.

After going 6-10-2 in 2013, Foster posted three-straight winning seasons, beginning with the 12-5-2 campaign in 2014, which included a 7-1-2 mark in G-MAC play, finishing tied for second. The Trojans posted a 9-7-3 mark in 2015, going 7-5-2 in conference play, leading up to the 13-5-1 campaign in 2016, including the 11-3 record in G-MAC play to capture the league title.

Foster coached 21 all-Great Midwest Athletic Conference honorees at Trevecca, including five all-region recipients and a CoSIDA Academic All-American.

Prior to becoming the Trojans' head coach, Foster spent two seasons as an assistant at Trevecca, his alma mater. He was a key component of the Trojans' 2012 G-MAC championship team which finished the season 16-5-3 and advanced to the NCCAA national semifinals.

Foster began his coaching career at the Brentwood Soccer Club in Nashville in 2009, serving as the head coach of the '93 Premier Division I state championship team. He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Donelson Christian Academy in Donelson, Tennessee.

As a player, Foster left his mark on the Trevecca record book, finishing his career as the school's all-time leader in both goals (41) and points (95) while tying for first all-time in assists (13). Foster helped guide the Trojans to 29 victories during his collegiate career, being named the TranSouth Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2008 and Freshman of the Year in 2005.

Foster was a four-time all-conference selection, earning first team honors in 2005 and 2008 while being named to the second team in 2006 and 2007. He was also a two-time TranSouth Scholar-Athlete and was named to the Trevecca Nazarene Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017, holding the distinction of being the only player in program history to have his number retired.

A native of Newcastle, Ireland, Foster played for the Kilmore Recreation Football Club in the Irish Premiere Football League. He is married to the former Jessica Leary, who played both softball and soccer at Trevecca, and the couple has one son, Campbell, and one daughter, Blake. He holds a UEFA A license.

THE FOSTER FILE

PERSONAL
Hometown: Newcastle, Ireland
College: Trevecca Nazarene, 2009
Family: Jessica (wife), Campbell (son), Blake (daughter)

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
2005-08: Trevecca Nazarene
Four-time all-conference selection, 2008 Player of the Year
Holds program record for goals (41) and points (95), tied for first in assists (13)

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2009-11: Brentwood Soccer Club (Head coach)
2010-11: Donelson Christian Academy (Assistant coach)
2011-13: Trevecca Nazarene (Assistant coach)
2013-16: Trevecca Nazarene (Head coach)
2017: South Alabama (Assistant coach)
2018-Present: Little Rock (Head Coach)