Foster named new head football coach at WCHS

White County High School announced the appointment of David Foster as the new head coach of the Warrior football team, on May 22, 2025, succeeding Curtis Beaty, who resigned after leading the team to two highly successful seasons.

“WCHS is proud to welcome Coach Foster as our new head football coach,” Terry Crain, White County’s athletic director said after making the announcement. “His extensive experience and dedication to the sport will be a great asset to our program.”

Foster, a graduate of Tennessee Technological University, has a rich background in high school athletics, having played football at Balboa High School, in Panama, and Clarksville High School. Foster began his coaching career at Upperman High School, in 2004. He has spent the past 20-plus years coaching at various schools in the Upper Cumberland and has spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Warriors.

“Coaching under Coach Beaty for the past two years has given me an opportunity to get to know the football team, the school, the community,” Foster said. “His enthusiasm for the kids and community were contagious.”

Although Foster has not held the role of a head coach before in football, he brings a strong background as a long-time defensive coordinator and, more recently, as a wrestling head coach for the past two years. His firsthand experience working closely with players and staff has prepared him for this new challenge.

“Coaching is teaching, and I’ve been a teacher for over 15 years,” he explained. “My goal is to maximize the kids’ potential, put them in positions to succeed, and continue the success that Coach Beaty and Coach Frasier started here. I want to keep the momentum going and aim for another playoff run.”

Foster said there will be an emphasis on fundamentals, physicality, and technique beginning with summer workouts, which are scheduled to start June 2, and continuing as long as he is at the helm of the Warriors’ football team.

“Blocking, tackling, getting off blocks - technique is more important than schemes. We want to be a physical, sound football team. It’s about teaching discipline and effort both on and off the field,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Foster is optimistic about this year’s team, despite losing many players to graduation.

“We lost a lot of players to graduation this year and we have big, big shoes to fill, but we have capable players on this team, and I’m looking forward to them stepping up,” he said, adding that he was excited to see what the incoming freshman class will add to the team. “Coach Brown, at White County Middle School, has done a great job preparing them, and we’re eager to see what they bring to the table.”

Foster said that the game he is looking forward to the most is the first game. And then the one after that, and the one after that, saying that his philosophy is to take it one game at a time, one play at a time.

“Once they start keeping score, it’s a different game. But I love all the aspects of it – I love the preparation,” he said, admitting that ‘teaching’ football every day was just as fulfilling as coaching it on Friday night. “As a coach you always get another chance. That’s not the same for the kids. At some point, it’s going to be their last game. I want this to be the best season the seniors have ever had. I want every member of this Warrior football team to realize that every game is the most important they’ve ever played.”

As he gets ready to lead his first practice as a head coach, Foster said he is looking for team-oriented players who want to play for the “S” on their jerseys.

“We are going to play for each other. The strength of the pack is the pack,” he said. “Chest up. Eyes up. Never palms up. No complaints, just play.”