NCAA News Wire
Anderson named Missouri coach
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Kim Anderson, who led Central Missouri to the Division II national championship this year, was named the new head basketball coach at Missouri, the school announced Monday.
Anderson is not a stranger to the Tigers program. He played for Missouri, and was the Big Eight player of the year in 1977. He was also a Missouri assistant coach for 11 years.
He has spent the last 12 seasons as the coach of Central Missouri. He went 274-94 there, and his team played in seven Division II NCAA tournaments. Central Missouri went 30-5 this season.
Anderson, 58, replaces Frank Haith, who left to take the head coaching vacancy at Tulsa. This is Anderson’s first Division I head coaching job.
“I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to return to Mizzou and lead a program that our family is so vested in,” Anderson said in a release. “When we took over in Warrensburg 12 years ago, we faced an uphill battle. We had support, we had a winning history and great campus leadership, but the program had lost its identity. I see that same opportunity here at Missouri. We have great leadership with Dr. Loftin and Mike Alden, and I know we have a passionate fan base. We have a lot of work ahead of us and that work starts today, but as a Missourian I embrace this challenge and look forward to bringing championship basketball back to Norm Stewart Court and Mizzou Arena.”
Anderson will be officially introduced at a press conference on Tuesday.
“We are pleased and excited to have Kim Anderson leading our program,” athletic director Mike Alden said. “He’s a man of great character, integrity and respect. He has demonstrated the ability to mentor young men on and off the court, academically and socially. He’s a proven winner on all levels, and he’s built tremendous relationships around the country in the basketball community, which assists greatly with recruiting and other important aspects for a program. Lastly, the fact that he’s a Missouri Tiger at heart is important, he is committed to Mizzou and has a passion to build a program of which all Tiger fans will be proud.”
