Northwestern baseball announces Michigan assistant Ben Greenspan as new head coach

Northwestern has announced Michigan associate head coach Ben Greenspan will take over as its new baseball coach. He takes over for Jim Foster, who was “relieved of his duties” last month in light of allegations of a toxic environment within the program.

Greenspan is considered one of the top assistant coaches in the country and spent last year at Michigan under Tracy Smith as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. Before his arrival in Ann Arbor, he was an assistant coach at Cal Poly after six years under Smith at Arizona State.

Greenspan played college baseball at UConn and got his coaching start at Indiana.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Ben, Janine, Grayson and Adalyn to the Wildcats family,” Northwestern athletics director Derrick Gragg said in a statement. “After an extensive nationwide search, Ben’s experience and coaching prowess quickly set him apart within the candidate pool. At each of his stops, he has consistently showcased his ability to develop both players and programs. With a proven track record of recruiting top talent and fostering growth, we’re confident Ben will lead our baseball program to new heights.”

Foster lasted one season at Northwestern after arriving from Army, but the Wildcats saw multiple players enter the transfer portal. After the season, 670 The Score’s Danny Parkins reported allegations of a toxic environment within the program that ultimately led to Foster’s departure.

The Northwestern players reportedly wanted assistant Brian Anderson, a former MLB player with the Chicago White Sox, to take over as head coach. He was initially named the interim head coach, but the Wildcats decided to go another direction and hire Greenspan to take over the program.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected as the next Head Baseball Coach at Northwestern,” Greenspan said in a statement, in part. “My personal and professional beliefs align with the mission and values of Northwestern University, where academically oriented student-athletes strive for excellence on the field and in the classroom. My playing and coaching experience in the Big Ten has provided me with a knowledge of the fierce competition and excellence of the Conference. This is a challenge that I welcome.”

Northwestern went 10-40 overall in 2023, including a 4-20 mark in Big Ten action. After Foster’s firing, multiple assistants filed a lawsuit alleging “retaliatory discharge, harassment, bullying and abuse” that led to the demotion and non-renewal of contracts of assistant coaches Dusty Napoleon and Jon Strauss, as well as director of baseball operations Chris Beacom.