COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jim Foster, who coached Vanderbilt to the Elite Eight and a No. 1 seed this season, is the new women's basketball coach at Ohio State. UC coach Laurie Pirtle, who played at Ohio State, had also been considered for the job.

        Foster left a storied Vanderbilt team after 11 years for what he says will be the ultimate challenge.

        “There's only one team that can win the last game of the season, and that's the team that wins the national championship,” Foster said at a hastily called news conference Sunday at Ohio State's Value City Arena. “That's why I came here. That's what I think we can be about.”

        Foster said he believed next year's Vanderbilt team was good enough to win the national championship even as he cast his lot with the Buckeyes.

        “Everything we do is geared toward playing in March. That's when it's fun. Your adrenalin is flowing. That's why players are in the gym in July for, that's what the 500 shots in the summer is for. That's what rehabbing from injuries is for,” he said. “It's to play in March, cut down the nets and be a champion.”

        Foster had a 256-99 record at Vanderbilt that included 10 NCAA tournament appearances. In 1993, he reached the Final Four, where the Commodores lost to Texas Tech in the semifinals. That was also the only season Ohio State made it to the Final Four, losing to Texas Tech in the national championship game.

        Vanderbilt lost to in-state rival Tennessee in the regional finals of this year's NCAA tournament, finishing 30-7 and No. 4 in the final AP poll.

        Vanderbilt was just 3-23 against the Volunteers with Foster pacing the sidelines.

        The 53-year-old Foster gave up security at Vanderbilt to move to Ohio State.

        “You're presented with opportunities in life and you make decisions,” he said. “Obviously, I had a comfort zone. But there are places where there is the ultimate challenge. This is one of those places.”

        Vanderbilt freshman Ashley Earley said she was shocked to find out that Foster was taking the Ohio State job.

        “He is the biggest reason I came to Vanderbilt,” she said. “I am disappointed that I will not be able to finish my career with him as my coach, but we all trust that the university will hire another top-notch coach. We have a core group still here and we will take what we learned from him and just get better.”

        Foster, a Vietnam veteran and the son of whiskey salesman, met with Ohio State's returning team members for one hour Sunday morning.

        He replaces Beth Burns, fired March 4 after going 81-65 in five years at Ohio State. Her tenure included the 2001 WNIT title and a 1999 appearance in the NCAAs.

        However, the Buckeyes haven't been nationally ranked since January 1999 and haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 1996, two years before Burns arrived.

        The Buckeyes are coming off a 14-15 season in which many of their top players were hampered by injuries.

        “This is a master coach and an outstanding teacher,” said Andy Geiger, Ohio State's athletic director.

        Foster's five-year package is worth around $400,000 a year, with incentives that could extend the contract.

        Foster, who also coached at Saint Joseph's from 1978-91, has a career record of 504-225 that includes only two seasons (1979-80, 1998-99) with a losing record.

        He won consistently at Vanderbilt despite having to battle Tennessee for recruits. Only his 1998-99 team that went 13-14 failed to make the NCAA tournament.

        “He's a proven winner. Everybody on the team wants to win next season and that's what he wants to do,” said Caity Matter, a guard.

        Tanya McClure, also a guard, said she's confident the team has the talent to be the best in the Big Ten under Foster's leadership.

        “He's going to prepare us well. Like he said, we're going to be a hard working team. I think we can win immediately,” she said.

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