Spring Break
Coach Anderson maintains a rich basketball tradition
Matt Foust
Issue date: 3/5/07 Section: Sports
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"Sitting right next to my dad during games meant so much to me," Anderson said. "[It was] something that I cherished and loved doing as a kid."
Anderson has certainly made his mark on the coaching trade as well, having served as assistant coach at stops such as Southern Methodist University under Dave Bliss and the University of Mississippi under Lee Hunt.
While serving as assistant at SMU, the 1984 team matched up against eventual national champion Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament. The Mustangs lost to the Hoyas by one point in the second round.
"[That experience] was probably…the pinnacle of my coaching career," he said. "That team was one of the best, if not the best, in SMU history."
It was during Anderson's tenure at Mississippi that Hunt was hired to be the men's head coach at UMKC. Hunt's task was not only to coach the basketball team but also to help the university move from the NAIA to NCAA Division I.
In 1986, Anderson made the journey with Coach Hunt to Kansas City. He recalled some lean times for the basketball program and himself during this period of change.
"We didn't have any money … I basically served as a volunteer coach," Anderson said. "Not only did [the University] not have the money to pay me, we [had to] cancel the season. We were challenged with scheduling and recruiting Division I players."
Anderson soon found himself out of a job when his coaching position was eliminated. After leaving UMKC, Anderson took a job in real-estate management where he found success. But his heart still longed to coach.
Anderson eventually returned to his first love, this time on the women's side of the court, coaching high school basketball in his home state of Oklahoma. Anderson's North High School team located in Norman showed enough promise that Anderson believed they could win the women's 6A state championship. That experience, however, was not to be, since he accepted the position with the Kangaroos.
Anderson's coaching heritage, in addition to his vast coaching experience, has helped him handle the mid-season changes quite well. A recurring scenario reminds Anderson that coaching is about more than just wins and losses. When he peers down the bench and sees his son Cody, he knows they are making their own cherished memories.
"Because [sitting on the bench with my dad was] so special to me - I really wanted to get [Cody] involved in that," Anderson said.
mfoust@unews.com
Anderson has certainly made his mark on the coaching trade as well, having served as assistant coach at stops such as Southern Methodist University under Dave Bliss and the University of Mississippi under Lee Hunt.
While serving as assistant at SMU, the 1984 team matched up against eventual national champion Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament. The Mustangs lost to the Hoyas by one point in the second round.
"[That experience] was probably…the pinnacle of my coaching career," he said. "That team was one of the best, if not the best, in SMU history."
It was during Anderson's tenure at Mississippi that Hunt was hired to be the men's head coach at UMKC. Hunt's task was not only to coach the basketball team but also to help the university move from the NAIA to NCAA Division I.
In 1986, Anderson made the journey with Coach Hunt to Kansas City. He recalled some lean times for the basketball program and himself during this period of change.
"We didn't have any money … I basically served as a volunteer coach," Anderson said. "Not only did [the University] not have the money to pay me, we [had to] cancel the season. We were challenged with scheduling and recruiting Division I players."
Anderson soon found himself out of a job when his coaching position was eliminated. After leaving UMKC, Anderson took a job in real-estate management where he found success. But his heart still longed to coach.
Anderson eventually returned to his first love, this time on the women's side of the court, coaching high school basketball in his home state of Oklahoma. Anderson's North High School team located in Norman showed enough promise that Anderson believed they could win the women's 6A state championship. That experience, however, was not to be, since he accepted the position with the Kangaroos.
Anderson's coaching heritage, in addition to his vast coaching experience, has helped him handle the mid-season changes quite well. A recurring scenario reminds Anderson that coaching is about more than just wins and losses. When he peers down the bench and sees his son Cody, he knows they are making their own cherished memories.
"Because [sitting on the bench with my dad was] so special to me - I really wanted to get [Cody] involved in that," Anderson said.
mfoust@unews.com
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