Basketball fans enjoy his unique announcing style following every Marshall County goal, especially a three-pointer that gets a little extra emphasis, something he has been doing since 1991. One of the biggest advocates for youth sports in Marshall County, Dennis Foust is dedicated to the youth and the community.
A lifelong resident of Marshall County, Foust was a point guard on the high school basketball team and played on the baseball team. He went on to graduate from the University of Kentucky Law School, then returned to Marshall County to begin a career as a public defender, serving as District Court Judge then Circuit Court Judge for 18 years.
In July 2015, Foust retired after 25 years of public service, honorably serving the residents of Marshall County as well as Calloway County and of those years on the bench, said his proudest achievement was getting a drug court started, first in Calloway County and then in Marshall County.
As high profile as his position as a judge was, Foust is most appreciated and respected by residents of this county for his now 40 years of tireless involvement with youth athletics and community service, starting back in his teenage years when he worked as an umpire and grounds keeper.
“I don’t think it can be measured,” longtime friend and WCBL Sports Director Jeff Waters said of his contribution to the community. “He’s got a great enthusiasm for Marshall County and a great love of Marshall County. He’s always done more than his part.”
Waters said Foust has done a lot of things people don’t even know about as far as supporting not just youth sports but youth in general.
“I think if you put a Mount Rushmore together of people that support youth endeavors in the county, Dennis would certainly be on it,” Waters said.
As told to Dax Myhand in the July 2015 podcast on daxmyhand.com, Foust said his job on the bench translated into sports in many ways.
“You learn teamwork, a winning attitude, you do your best to make the best decisions, you prepare and do your homework.”
Dennis has said, “I had a basketball or baseball in my hand from the time I could walk,” so his love of sports began basically from birth. His dad, Ray, ran the Calvert City Pony League as well as other youth athletic programs, during Foust’s formative years.
Upon returning to Marshall County following his graduation from law school, Foust along with Marshals Head Coach Alan Hatcher, kicked around the idea of a basketball program for elementary age kids because Hatcher felt his players at the high school level could not handle the ball very well with their left hand, thus the county-wide Little League program was formed.
Foust formed the Little Dribblers program in 1989, along with help from his high school basketball coach Rick Leeper, Coach Hatcher and Jerry Hathcock. A program he said on the Dax Myhand podcast, “was to give each child an equal opportunity to develop his or her basketball skills.”
“In it’s heyday, we had 200 kids on cold Saturday mornings,” he said. His goal was to teach the proper fundamentals and ball handling skills while having fun. This focus on fundamentals stems from his dad and a family friend from his youth.
“When he was little, Bill Ricks was a family friend and super basketball player and wonderful ball-handler at North,” Foust’s mother, Bobbie Foust, said. “Bill and Dennis took a liking to each other and he taught him the fundamentals of handling the ball.”
Bobbie said his dad Ray along with his friendship with Bill, instilled in Foust the way to do things right, by learning the fundamentals, putting in the work and having a good attitude.
Over the years, along with Little Dribblers and the Little League program, Foust has coached numerous summer league baseball teams, Babe Ruth baseball, Marshall County baseball assistant, Upward Basketball, organized coach and referee clinics and numerous more youth athletic programs. He continues to be a big part of the Marshall County baseball program, as an announcer and statistician and PA announcer for Marshall County varsity football games.
“Dennis has been a constant face of the Marshall County Baseball program for the past 25 years,” Marshall County Head Coach and now Athletic Director Mike Johnson said. “He has contributed in many ways as a coach, booster, parent and friend to the program. His love for the game of baseball and for working with student athletes is beyond words. He is a true “Marshal.”
As a child, Dennis and his dad attended the Sweet 16 Kentucky State Basketball Tournament for many years and it was there at Freedom Hall he met a gentleman known as “Big 6” Henderson, a revenue agent, who was the scorekeeper at the Sweet 16. It was also at the Sweet 16 that he met announcer John Tong and became an admirer of his unique style of announcing, which Foust patterns his own after.
“When it comes to PA, you can have a PA announcer that’s just somebody sitting in the seat talking into the microphone,” Waters said. “Dennis is not one of those, he’s keeping track of who’s in the game, who’s not in the game. He does not make mistakes on that and that’s pretty rare.”
Now in his so-called “retirement” Foust is in his element as the Superintendent of Mike Miller Park, a position he took in April 2016, which he said is “a perfect fit.” He sees it as a chance to work, expand and improve youth athletic opportunities.
He has many new projects in mind for future expansion and plans for the park, to make it more attractive and as an economic development tool for the county.
“He puts a great deal of time into the park job,” Bobbie said of her son. “Anything he does, he puts his all into it.”
It’s something he got from his parents and three older sisters who are successful in their own right. His sister Donna is an attorney in Louisville, sister Jackie is an accountant for the Missouri Higher Educational Authority in Chesterfield, Mo., and Jackie’s twin sister Terrie is a retired Lyon County Elementary teacher, professional dancer and aerobics instructor.
“We try to have a reputation of being first class in everything with athletics, not just the product on the floor but everything that surrounds it to the facilities to the people managing and the people working and Dennis has always maintained that professionalism,” Waters said. “He wants Marshall County to be at the top of everything we do whether school performance, athletic performance and takes a leadership role in it to make it happen.”
Foust is married to Ann and they have three children Catherine, Chandler and Alec. Some have been involved in youth sports, but in everything they do, he has emphasized the importance of hard work and a good attitude and his words, “let them be a kids, learn to listen, encourage them and at the end of the day, sports is a game.”
His personal opinion and beliefs on winning and success in sports: “Maximize your physical talents along with your mental abilities and doing it in such a way as you give it your best, then the winning will take care of itself”.
And to that we say – GOAL…BY…FOUST!
