Tony Foti - Softball Coach - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

Tony Foti

Title:
Pitching Coach
Email:
tony.foti@mtsu.edu
Phone:
904-8010

Tony Foti is heading into his 10th season on Head Coach Jeff Breeden’s staff in 2022, acting as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. He moves into his current role after previously serving as the pitching coach for Middle Tennessee.

In 2021, Foti coached Amber Baldwin to a top-10 finish in eight MT career pitching categories while also helping Corrina Dodd reach a breakout year with two Conference USA Pitcher of the Week awards, and she became the first MT pitcher to receive two TSWA Pitcher of the Week awards. Dodd’s classmate Kailey Ahlstrom took over the “closer” role under Foti’s tutelage in 2021 and enters the 2022 season with five saves, tied for second most in program history.

Foti’s work on the recruiting trail helped the Blue Raiders earn Conference USA’s best 2020 recruiting class, according to Extra Innings Softball. The class of 2021 freshmen Raiders was ranked 58th nationally and ninth among non-Power 5 teams. In the circle in 2020, the MT staff saved four games, tied for fifth-most in a season in program history.

MT’s pitchers saw a drop in team ERA of over two runs since Foti’s arrival and an overhauled staff with four new pitchers coming in 2018-19. In 2018, MT pitchers — led by NCAA All-Region performer Cori Jennings — led MT to its first ever Conference USA championship. As the recruiting coordinator, MT has expanded its base with student athletes from Texas, California, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and Illinois.

Foti spent the previous seven years coaching professionally in Europe, Asia, Central and South America and Africa. In that position, Foti traveled the globe conducting elite coaches/player clinics and national team development camps. Foti has also served as Canadian national Team coach from 1989-1996 and again from 2005-2012, coaching in World Championships, Pan-Am Games, World Cups and the 1996 Olympic Games. In 2007 and 2008, Foti helped lead Forli in the ISL to Italian Championships and European Championship.

Coach Foti fine-tuned his coaching expertise at the federally-funded National Coaching Institute in Canada. There, he completed the prestigious advanced coaching program. The program stresses both the technical and theoretical aspects of coaching, and takes several years to complete. Foti has earned the title of Master Clinician, and conducts player and coaches courses under the high-performance softball coaching program with the International Softball Federation.

In the spring of 2001, Foti accepted the opportunity to be the head softball coach at Mercer University. Two years later, he was selected Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year after leading Mercer to a 35-23 record, advancing the Bears to their first Atlantic Sun tournament berth since 1997, and conference championship in 2003. The ASUN conference awarded Foti the coach of the year award again in 2006.

Foti has also served as the associate head coach at UC Santa Barbara for seven years where the Gauchos captured the Big West Conference in 2000, a first for UCSB. Also winning the Big West coaching staff of the year in 2000.

Prior to UCSB, Foti served as a volunteer assistant at UNLV, where the ‘Runnin Rebels participated in the 1994 College World Series.

Foti also coached the Smitty’s U21 and women’s open teams in club ball to 3 consecutive Canadian National Championships. In 1995 Foti was an assistant with the California Waves, winning the ASA 18U Gold national championships. Foti also served as Co-Head Coach of the Michigan Ice expansion NPF team in 2006.

Foti played for the 1981 Canadian Junior Men's National Team before starting his coaching career as an assistant at Valley City College in 1985. He earned his first head coaching position at Red River College in 1986, winning the Canadian Community College National Championship. Foti continued playing men’s fastpitch softball through the 1997 season.

Foti is currently the Head Coach of the Greek Women’s Olympic Team, leading the Greek team to a seventh-place finish in the 2019 European Championships. A member of Softball Canada’s Coaches/Technical Development Committee and consultant to the European Softball Coaches Association, Foti holds a BA in Education Administration from the International College in Los Angeles. He has a daughter, Devyn, and a son, Dayne.