Mike Anderson (basketball, born 1959) facts for kids
Anderson during his tenure at St. John's
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1959 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1978–1980 | Jefferson State CC |
| 1980–1982 | Tulsa |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1982–1985 | Tulsa (assistant) |
| 1985–2002 | Arkansas (assistant) |
| 2002 | Arkansas (interim HC) |
| 2002–2006 | UAB |
| 2006–2011 | Missouri |
| 2011–2019 | Arkansas |
| 2019–2023 | St. John's |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 438–257 (.630) |
| Tournaments | 9–9 (NCAA Division I) 4–3 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| C-USA regular season (2004) Big 12 tournament (2009) |
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| Awards | |
| NABC Coach of the Year (2009) Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award (2009) C-USA Coach of the Year (2004) Big East Coach of the Year (2021) |
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Michael Andre Anderson (born December 12, 1959) is a well-known American basketball coach. He was most recently the head coach for the St. John's Red Storm team. Before that, he led teams at UAB, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Coach Anderson also spent 17 years as an assistant coach under Nolan Richardson at Arkansas. Over 20 seasons as a head coach, he won 414 games and had only 235 losses. His teams had 11 seasons with 20 or more wins. They also made it to the NCAA Tournament 9 times. Two of his teams reached the "Sweet Sixteen" round, and one even made it to the "Elite Eight" in 2009. Mike Anderson is one of only three coaches with over 15 years of experience who has never had a losing season.
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Playing Basketball: Mike Anderson's Early Years
Mike Anderson was born and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. He went to Jackson-Olin High School. There, he was a star player, leading his team to the state basketball tournament semifinals. In his junior and senior years, he scored about 19 points per game. He also earned "all-state" honors, meaning he was one of the best players in Alabama.
After high school, Anderson played at Jefferson State Community College. An opposing coach named Nolan Richardson noticed his talent. When Coach Richardson got a job at the University of Tulsa, he offered Anderson a scholarship. Anderson played for the Golden Hurricane team for two years. He averaged 12 points per game. During his time there, the team won an NIT title and made it to the NCAA tournament.
Coaching Career: From Assistant to Head Coach
Starting as an Assistant Coach
After finishing college in 1982, Anderson wanted to become a coach. Coach Richardson invited him to join the University of Tulsa's staff as a volunteer assistant. When Richardson moved to the University of Arkansas, he brought Anderson along. Anderson worked as an assistant coach at Arkansas for 17 years. For the last five of those years, he was the assistant head coach.
During this time, the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team was very successful. They won three championships in the Southwest Conference and two in the Southeastern Conference. They also reached the Final Four three times. In 1994, they won the national championship, and in 1995, they finished second. When Coach Richardson left, Anderson became the interim head coach for the rest of the 2001–02 season.
Leading the UAB Blazers
In 2002, Mike Anderson returned to his hometown to coach the team at the UAB. The team had not been doing well, but Anderson quickly changed that. In his first year, he led the team to 22 wins. They also made it to the Quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
Anderson then guided the UAB Blazers to three straight appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. In 2004, they had a big upset win against the University of Kentucky. Kentucky was the top-ranked team in the tournament, but UAB won 76–75. This victory sent UAB to the "Sweet Sixteen" round. UAB finished that season ranked 23rd in the country. Anderson was named Conference USA Coach of the Year. He is the only coach in UAB history to take the Blazers to the postseason every year he was there.
Coaching the Missouri Tigers
First Seasons at Missouri (2006–2008)
In 2006, Anderson became the head coach at the University of Missouri. He worked to improve the team. His first team had many new players. They won 18 games and lost 12. However, they did not make it to the postseason.
The next season (2007–08) was a bit tougher. The Tigers finished with a 16–16 record. They missed out on postseason play again.
A Great Third Season (2008–09)
Anderson's third season at Missouri in 2008–09 was a big success. Many wondered how he would blend new players with the existing team. The Tigers started strong with a 9–1 record. They won against strong teams like USC and Cal. They finished their non-conference games with 13 wins and 2 losses.
In conference play, they won 11 of their next 12 games. This included a last-second win against Texas. They also had a memorable win against their rival, Kansas. The Tigers came back from being 14 points behind at halftime to win. Zaire Taylor made the game-winning shot with only 1.3 seconds left.
The team finished their home games undefeated, winning all 18 games. They then won the Big 12 Conference tournament. They beat Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Baylor on three nights in a row. In the NCAA Tournament, they beat Cornell, Marquette, and Memphis. This pushed them into the "Elite Eight" round. Their great run ended with an 82–75 loss to top-seeded UConn.
Anderson was also one of ten finalists for the 2008–09 Henry Iba Award, a top coaching award. After this successful season, Anderson signed a 7-year contract extension with Missouri. He turned down offers from other universities to stay.
Final Seasons at Missouri (2009–2011)
In his last two seasons with Missouri, Anderson's teams won 23 games each year. They finished fifth in their conference both times. The Tigers made it to the NCAA Tournament in both of these years. This was the first time since 2003 that the team had made three or more straight trips to the NCAA tournament. It was also the first time since 1983 that they had won more than 20 games three years in a row.
Moving to Arkansas
In March 2011, Mike Anderson accepted the head coaching job at the University of Arkansas. This move surprised many Missouri fans. Anderson had told a reporter he planned to stay at Missouri for "a long time." However, he decided to return to Arkansas, where he had been an assistant coach for many years.
Coaching the Arkansas Razorbacks
On March 23, 2011, Anderson signed a seven-year contract with the University of Arkansas. His coaching staff from Missouri also joined him.
First Three Seasons (2011–2014)
Anderson's first two seasons back at Arkansas saw the team finish with winning records. They won 18 games in 2011–12 and 19 games in 2012–13. However, they did not make it to any postseason tournaments.
In the 2013–14 season, the Razorbacks returned to the postseason. They earned a spot in the NIT. Arkansas won 22 games and lost 12, their best record since 2008. They also beat SEC rival Kentucky twice that season. The team played with a fast-paced style, leading the SEC in scoring, assists, steals, and turnover margin. A young player named Bobby Portis became the sixth freshman in the team's history to earn All-SEC honors.
Successful Seasons (2014–2018)
On January 6, 2015, Anderson signed a two-year contract extension. He led Arkansas to the NCAA tournament in his fourth season. They also reached the finals of the SEC tournament. The Razorbacks were given a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, their highest since 1999. They made it to the "Round of 32" before losing to North Carolina. Bobby Portis was named SEC Player of the Year and was later drafted by the Chicago Bulls.
On February 23, 2016, Anderson won his 100th game as Arkansas coach. He also reached his 300th career win. The Razorbacks finished the season with a 16–16 record.
Anderson's sixth team had a great start. They signed three top junior college players. The team finished the regular season with 23 wins and 8 losses. They won six road games in the SEC, which was a rare achievement for the team. They tied for third place in the league. They also reached the finals of the SEC tournament, losing to Kentucky. As an No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament, they beat Seton Hall. They then lost to the eventual national champions, North Carolina.
On January 26, 2018, Anderson signed another two-year contract extension. The Razorbacks finished tied for fourth in the SEC. They made it to the NCAA tournament, but lost in the first round.
Final Season and Departure (2018–2019)
In his eighth season (2018–19), Anderson had many new players. The team finished tied for ninth in the SEC. They lost their first SEC Tournament game. They then played in the NIT, winning one game and losing one.
On March 26, 2019, Arkansas decided to part ways with Anderson. This ended his 25-year connection with the University of Arkansas as both an assistant and head coach. He was replaced by Eric Musselman.
Coaching the St. John's Red Storm
On April 19, 2019, Mike Anderson became the head coach at St. John's University. On February 16, 2021, Anderson won his 400th game as a head coach. His Red Storm team defeated Xavier. Anderson was named Big East Coach of the Year for the 2020–21 season. He was given a 6-year contract extension after his first two seasons at St. John's.
On March 10, 2023, St. John’s decided to end Anderson's time as head coach. This happened one day after his fourth season ended with a loss in the Big East Tournament.
Mike Anderson's Coaching Records
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Razorbacks (Southeastern Conference) (2002) | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | Arkansas | 1–1 | 1–0 | T–4th (West) | |||||
| UAB Blazers (Conference USA) (2002–2006) | |||||||||
| 2002–03 | UAB | 21–13 | 8–8 | T–2nd (National) | NIT Quarterfinal | ||||
| 2003–04 | UAB | 22–10 | 12–4 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
| 2004–05 | UAB | 22–11 | 10–6 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2005–06 | UAB | 24–7 | 12–2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| UAB: | 89–41 (.685) | 42–20 (.677) | |||||||
| Missouri Tigers (Big 12 Conference) (2006–2011) | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | Missouri | 18–12 | 7–9 | 6th | |||||
| 2007–08 | Missouri | 16–16 | 6–10 | 10th | |||||
| 2008–09 | Missouri | 31–7 | 12–4 | 3rd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2009–10 | Missouri | 23–11 | 10–6 | 5th | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2010–11 | Missouri | 23–11 | 8–8 | T–5th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| Missouri: | 111–57 (.661) | 43–37 (.538) | |||||||
| Arkansas Razorbacks (Southeastern Conference) (2011–2019) | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | Arkansas | 18–14 | 6–10 | 9th | |||||
| 2012–13 | Arkansas | 19–13 | 10–8 | 7th | |||||
| 2013–14 | Arkansas | 22–12 | 10–8 | 5th | NIT Second Round | ||||
| 2014–15 | Arkansas | 27–9 | 13–5 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2015–16 | Arkansas | 16–16 | 9–9 | T–8th | |||||
| 2016–17 | Arkansas | 26–10 | 12–6 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2017–18 | Arkansas | 23–12 | 10–8 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Arkansas | 18–16 | 8–10 | T–9th | NIT Second Round | ||||
| Arkansas: | 170–103 (.623) | 79–64 (.552) | |||||||
| St. John's Red Storm (Big East Conference) (2019–2023) | |||||||||
| 2019–20 | St. John's | 17–15 | 5–13 | T–8th | |||||
| 2020–21 | St. John's | 16–11 | 10–9 | T–4th | |||||
| 2021–22 | St. John's | 17–15 | 8–11 | T–7th | |||||
| 2022–23 | St. John's | 18–15 | 7–13 | 8th | |||||
| St. John's: | 68–56 (.548) | 30–46 (.395) | |||||||
| Total: | 438–257 (.630) | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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Mike Anderson's Family Life
Mike Anderson is married to Marcheita. They have four children: Darcheita, Michael Jr., Suney Alexander, and Yvonne. They also have four grandchildren. His daughter, Yvonne, was a successful basketball player for the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team.
His nephew, DeMarre Carroll, was the top scorer for Missouri in 2008–09. DeMarre also played in the NBA for 11 seasons. He is now an assistant coach for the Lakers.
