Hall of Fame

Connie Foster

Connie Foster

  • Class
  • Induction
    2025
  • Sport(s)
    UW-River Falls
Induction Video

(Written: July 2025)

Connie Foster served UW-River Falls in multiple roles during her long and productive career. She started her career as the women’s gymnastics coach from 1984-92, and was named the conference’s Coach of the Year in 1989 – the first coach in program history to receive the distinction.

Foster was the women’s athletics director from 1992-96 and athletics director from 1996-2002. She served as the Dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies from 2003-07 and was the interim chancellor in 2008-09.

Foster was the conference president from 1995-97 and served as a member of the transition team from the Wisconsin Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1996-97.

She earned the University’s Outstanding Service Award in 2003 and was co-chair of the -Falcon Center Fundraising Committee. Foster received a UW-River Falls Outstanding Service Award in 2013 and was inducted into the UW-River Falls Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2021, UW-River Falls named an athletics conference room in her honor, the Dr. Connie Foster Athletic Conference Room.

Foster earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Long Beach, master’s degree in sport psychology from University of Southern California and PhD in sport psychology from University of Minnesota. She is a certified facilitator. Foster resides in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband Fred Roethlisberger. They have two sons John and Gus, a daughter Marie, and five grandchildren.