The Florida Gators are set to hire Duke running back coach Chris Foster in the same role, Gator Country confirms.
In his lone season at Duke, Foster guided a running back room that combined for 1,715 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in 2025. Freshman Nate Sheppard led the way with 962 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, ranking second in the ACC in rushing yards and tied for third in rushing touchdowns.
Sheppard’s 2025 accolades include Second Team All-ACC, First Team Pro Football Focus and Sports Network All-ACC, and On3 True Freshman Midseason All-American Team.
Prior to his time in Durham, North Carolina, Foster spent two years as Northwestern University’s running backs coach.
Before that, Foster served as East Carolina’s running back coach and recruiting coordinator from 2021-22.
In 2022, Pirate running backs rushed for 5.2 yards per carry, the second-highest total in the American Athletic Conference. The ECU running back room was led by Keaton Mitchell, a Pro Football Focus All-America honorable mention selection who ranked second in the nation with 7.2 yards per carry. Mitchell’s 1,452 rushing yards ranked second highest in the conference and 12th in the country.
In 2021, East Carolina averaged 170.4 ground yards per game. In his initial season with Foster, Mitchell became the first East Carolina running back to average more than 100 yards per game since NFL All-Pro Chris Johnson in 2007. Mitchell ranked ninth in the country with his 6.5 yards per carry average.
Mitchell is currently in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.
Foster spent five years as the running backs coach, recruiting coordinator and associate head coach at Georgia Southern. He joined the Eagles’ staff in 2016 as running backs coach, was promoted to recruiting coordinator in 2018, and added associate head coach duties in 2019.
In 2016, Foster coached former NFL running back Matt Breida at Georgia Southern.
Foster’s coaching career
2004-11: Gardner-Webb – Running Backs Coach
2012-14: Appalachian State – Running Backs Coach
2015: Marville – Running Backs Coach
2016-17: Georgia Southern – Running Backs Coach
2018: Georgia Southern – Running Backs Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
2019-20: Georgia Southern – Running Backs Coach / Recruiting Coordinator / Associate Head Coach
2021-22: East Carolina – Running Backs Coach /Recruiting Coordinator
2023-24: Northwestern University – Running Backs Coach
2025: Duke – Running Backs Coach