Dinari Foreman became the sixth head coach in the Lewis & Clark men’s basketball program history on June 1, 2011 and coached for seven seasons through 2017-18.
The Pioneers have made the Northwest Conference tournament in all but two of Foreman's seasons as the head coach including a spot in the NWC final to end the 2015-16 season.
Foreman has been a cornerstone of the Lewis & Clark basketball program for the past decade, initially returning to his alma mater as a part-time assistant coach in the 2001-02 season. After six seasons as an assistant, Foreman was promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2007.
During his time on the bench alongside head coach Bob Gaillard, Foreman helped lead the Pioneers to six post-season appearances, including making it to the Elite Eight of the 2002 NCAA National Championships, along with a pair of Conference titles. He coached 18 players to All-Conference honors and help mentor Scott Davis to All-American status in 2002.
Foreman’s history with the Pioneers began as a player wearing the orange and black. During his two seasons with the Pioneers, Foreman earned NAIA 1st Team All-America honors, was a two-time first-team All-Conference honoree and was second in the nation in scoring during his senior season (1994-95). He led the Pios to a pair of Northwest Conference Championships and helped the 1993-94 team advance to the Final Four of the NAIA National Championships. He set the Pioneer single-season record for field goal percentage, making 61.9 percent of his attempts during his junior season. His 25.7 points-per-game average during his senior campaign was the second-best in the history of the program.
Foreman’s collegiate basketball career began at Napa Valley College for coach Kermit Young where he was a two-time 1st Team All-Bay Valley team member, averaging 23.8 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per game his sophomore season. He is the school’s career record holder in field goal percentage converting on 63.4 percent of his shots taken. The NVC Storm went 50-10 in Foreman’s two seasons there before transferring to L&C.
Foreman was inducted into the Lewis & Clark College Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
After college, Foreman played two years of professional basketball in Germany’s Second Division. In recent years, he served as a volunteer coach for the Turkish Basketball Federation’s (TBF) Best Five 2007 Basketball camps in Erzincan and Usak in a program managed by the U.S. Department of State.
In addition to serving as a basketball assistant coach, Foreman also managed the Intramural Program for the entire College from 2007-11.
Foreman graduated from Lewis & Clark in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. He and his wife, Jill, are proud parents of their daughter Kasha.
Foreman is the latest former Lewis & Clark assistant under Bob Gaillard to move up in the collegiate coaching world. Other Gaillard assistants who have continued on in the coaching profession include Shanon Rosenburg (Head Coach, Foothill College), Kirk Crawford (Assistant Coach, Air Force- women), Bob Pierce (Head Coach, Akita- Japan BJ League), and Eric Bridgeland (Head Coach, Whitman College).
“Lewis & Clark College was the best thing to happen to me in my life. The faculty, staff, and students here are incredible. I can't wait to lead and mentor these young people through what should be the best times of their lives.” – Head Coach Dinari Foreman.
Dinari Foreman at a glance
Coaching Experience
Lewis & Clark, Head Coach, 2011-present
Lewis & Clark, Associate Head Coach, 2007-11
Lewis & Clark, Assistant Coach, 2001-07
Education
Lewis & Clark, BS Communications – 1995
Competitive Career
Lewis & Clark, Men's Basketball - 1991-95
- NAIA 1st Team All-America
- Two-time First-Team All-Conference
- Second in the nation in scoring (1993-94)
- NAIA Final Four (1993-94)
