Former Platte County Pirate leader went on to win national titles at community colleges
Dick Foster, a former Platte County Pirate football coach who went on to earn legendary status in the community college ranks, has died at the age of 86.
Foster died over the weekend. No other details were available as of Landmark deadline.
Foster won national championships at two different community colleges. Foster was the only head coach in NJCAA history to win a National Championship at two different schools and at the time of his retirement had the highest winning percentage of any head coach in junior college ball by winning nearly 85% of the games he coached.
Foster coached for a total of 16 years in junior college football serving as Coffeyville (Ks.) Community College Red Ravens head coach from 1975-1988 and at Fort Scott Community College from 1969-1970.
His total career record as a junior college head coach was 146 wins, 25 losses and 2 ties.
At Platte County High School, Foster, was not only a very successful coach for the Pirate football team but also served as PCHS principal for five of his 11 coaching years. Foster also coached girls basketball, boys basketball and track during his tenure in Platte City.
Foster came to Platte County High School in 1957 and spent 11 years as a Pirate. He was inducted into the Pirate Hall of Fame in 1999, as part of the inaugural class.
After his time at PCHS and before putting the Coffeyville program on the map, Foster spent two seasons at Fort Scott Community College, where he led the Greyhounds to a national championship in 1970 and was inducted into their athletic hall of fame in 1990.
His career then shifted to the University of Kansas, where he served as an assistant football coach for four years. He then became the head coach at Coffeyville Community College in 1975 and guided the Red Ravens to a national championship in 1983.
Foster’s Coffeyville teams played in 11 bowl games, winning eight.
He was inducted into the Coffeyville Community College Hall of Fame in 1998. The school also dubbed its athletic facilities the Dick Foster Athletic Complex in Foster’s honor.
Foster is also in the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame.
Upon retiring from coaching in 1988, he became the first full-time recruiting coordinator for the University of Oklahoma.
After eight years with the Sooners’ program, Foster returned to Coffeyville and served as a volunteer assistant coach for the program’s new coach, Foster’s son, Skip. Skip had been an All-American offensive lineman for Coffeyville.
On the Coffeyville Community College Facebook page, CCC President Dr. Marlon Thornburg said: “Words cannot express the loss of such a great influencer and mentor to those within the Coffeyville Community College family. Dick Foster played a huge role in the success of many student athletes on and off the field. His passion and commitment to the students, faculty and staff of CCC will be greatly missed.”
Foster still has relatives in the Platte City area and was an occasional visitor in recent years.