Ken Anderson (basketball)

Ken Anderson (born January 16, 1933) is a retired American college basketball coach, who spent 27 seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. His winning percentage of .806 ranks second in college basketball history, behind only Adolph Rupp and one spot ahead of John Wooden.[2]

Ken Anderson
Biographical details
Born (1933-01-16) January 16, 1933
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1968-1995Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
14 WIAC regular season (1970–1974, 1976, 1977, 1979–1982, 1987, 1989, 1991)[1]
14 NAIA District 14 (1970–1972, 1974, 1979–1982, 1986–1991)
Awards
3× NAIA Coach of the Year (1972, 1980, 1981)
NAIA Hall of Fame (1990)

Coaching career

High school

After graduating from UW-Eau Claire in 1955, Anderson began his coaching career at the high school level, with stops in Auburndale, Plymouth, Superior, and Wausau, compiling a 239-75 record with three state tournament appearances over 12 years among the schools.[3]

Fort Lewis

Anderson's tenure in Superior was interrupted by the Berlin Crisis of 1961. While stationed at Fort Lewis as a U.S. Army Reserve Special Services Officer, he posted a 41-5 record as the coach of the Fort Lewis Rangers, whose roster included Green Bay Packers players Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler.[4][5]

UW–Eau Claire

Anderson was hired in 1968 by Eau Claire to succeed W.L. Zorn, who had retired following a 7-13 campaign. Anderson brought immediate results to the Blugolds, finishing his first season with a 14-8 record. Eau Claire won the first of five consecutive Wisconsin State University Conference titles in his second year, and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament, where they lost to eventual champion Kentucky State in the second round. The Blugolds returned to the NAIA tournament the following year, but were defeated in the quarterfinals by Eastern Michigan.[6] The senior-laden 1972 team led by Mike Ratliff and Frank Schade[7] advanced to the championship game, but were done in by a 39-point performance by Travis Grant as Kentucky State claimed a third consecutive title, 71-62.[8]

After five more trips to the NAIA tournament in Kansas City, including returns to the Final Four in 1980 and 1981, as well as a gold medal as coach of the United States team at the 1979 World University Games in Mexico City,[9][10] Anderson was named head coach at the University of Wisconsin after the 1981-82 season. But with Badger athletic director Elroy Hirsch infamously on a Caribbean cruise, Anderson was repeatedly referred to by the wrong name at his introductory press conference, and he resigned four days later to return to Eau Claire.[11]

Following the turbulent offseason, the 1982-83 Blugolds posted the worst record of Anderson's career (15-12), but they soon returned to form, going 25-5 in 1983-84 and beginning a run of seven straight trips to Kansas City in 1985-86. They reached the Final Four in 1989 and returned to the championship game in 1990. However, as in 1972, their title hopes were thwarted by a massive individual effort. Although Duane Bushman scored 30 points for Eau Claire, Stacy Butler's 36 points led Birmingham-Southern to an 88-80 win.[12][13]

The Blugolds returned to the quarterfinals in 1991[14] and made one final trip to Kansas City in 1992, but in 1994 Eau Claire became the last of the WSUC universities to switch affiliation from the NAIA to NCAA Division III.[15]

Anderson retired following the 1994-95 season, having compiled a record of 631-152, including 343-89 in WSUC play with 14 conference titles in his 27 years at the helm. His teams went 41-7 in NAIA District 14 playoff games, reaching the NAIA tournament 15 times and advancing to the Elite Eight eight times, the Final Four five times, and the national championship game twice.[16] Anderson's record in NAIA national tournament games was 28-16, despite the fact that Eau Claire - like all WSUC universities, but unlike much of their competition - did not offer athletic scholarships.[17] He was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2012, the playing surface at UW-Eau Claire's W.L. Zorn Arena, where Anderson amassed a 387-44 home record, was dedicated as Ken Anderson Court.[18]

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
UW–Eau Claire Blugolds (Wisconsin State University Conference) (1968–1995)
1968-1969 UW–Eau Claire 14-811-53rd
1969-1970 UW–Eau Claire 24-215-11stNAIA Second Round
1970-1971 UW–Eau Claire 26-216-01stNAIA Elite Eight
1971-1972 UW–Eau Claire 29-216-01stNAIA Runner–up
1972-1973 UW–Eau Claire 21-414-2T-1st
1973-1974 UW–Eau Claire 24-514-2T–1stNAIA First Round
1974-1975 UW–Eau Claire 19-711-5T-3rd
1975-1976 UW–Eau Claire 25-314–21st
1976-1977 UW–Eau Claire 22-613-31st
1977-1978 UW–Eau Claire 20-711-5T-2nd
1978-1979 UW–Eau Claire 24-712-41stNAIA Second Round
1979-1980 UW–Eau Claire 30-415-11stNAIA Final Four
1980-1981 UW–Eau Claire 29-514-21stNAIA Final Four
1981-1982 UW–Eau Claire 26-613-3T-1stNAIA Elite Eight
1982-1983 UW–Eau Claire 15-129-75th
1983-1984 UW–Eau Claire 25-513-33rd
1984-1985 UW–Eau Claire 24-513-32nd
1985-1986 UW–Eau Claire 24-711-53rdNAIA Second Round
1986-1987 UW–Eau Claire 26-413-3T-1stNAIA First Round
1987-1988 UW–Eau Claire 23-811-53rdNAIA Second Round
1988-1989 UW–Eau Claire 29-414-2T-1stNAIA Final Four
1989-1990 UW–Eau Claire 30-414-22ndNAIA Runner-up
1990-1991 UW–Eau Claire 29-314-21stNAIA Elite Eight
1991-1992 UW–Eau Claire 20-911-53rdNAIA First Round
1992-1993 UW–Eau Claire 19-712-43rd
1993-1994 UW–Eau Claire 19-611-53rd
1994-1995 UW–Eau Claire 15-108-84th
UW–Eau Claire: 631-152343-89
Total:631-152

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

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See also

References
  1. http://blugolds.com/library/files/alum/AndersonKen/Career_Snapshot.pdf
  2. http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front_page/article_8e907ddc-fd1f-11e0-8a24-001cc4c03286.html
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. http://dma.wi.gov/dma/news/2013news/13149.asp
  5. http://www.wisvetsmuseum.com/collections/oral_history/transcriptions/H/Honor%20and%20Remembrance%20_OH%201108_.pdf
  6. https://www.si.com/vault/1972/01/10/554410/latest-biggie-among-the-mighty-smalls
  7. https://www.si.com/vault/1971/11/29/613932/a-big-name-for-the-small-colleges
  8. http://www.blugolds.com/stats/mbkb/197172/197172_31.pdf
  9. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19790927&id=3iQvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2CoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6620,4360844
  10. http://archive.usab.com/mens/worlduniversity/mwug_1979.html
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 22, 2004. Retrieved March 1, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=860&dat=19900320&id=24VUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_Y4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5147,2634648
  13. http://www.blugolds.com/stats/mbkb/198990/198990_33.pdf
  14. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19910316&id=Mo9QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6hIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4502,3615313
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 23, 2004. Retrieved March 1, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. http://www.blugolds.com/library/files/alum/AndersonKen/Retirement_Announcement.pdf
  17. http://blugolds.com/library/files/mbkb/Anderson-Era_For_Ages.pdf
  18. http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front_page/article_b48e1092-4fb0-11e1-85ce-0019bb2963f4.html
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