Anderson Joins MBB Coaching Staff

BOULDER - University of Colorado men's basketball head coach Ricardo Patton announced Tuesday afternoon the hiring of John Anderson to his coaching staff.  Anderson replaces Jason Shelton, who resigned in March to become the head coach at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn.

 Anderson, 46, comes to Boulder from Hillcrest High School in Memphis, Tenn., where he was the head coach from 1987-2005 and compiled a 253-194 record.

 At Colorado, Anderson will be responsible for off-campus recruiting, scouting, and the Ricardo Patton Basketball Camps.

 Bringing over 24 years of coaching experience to the Buffaloes, Anderson earned the Tennessee Athletic Coaching Association's Coach of the Year award three times (1994, 1995, 1996) and the District 16AA Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996 while at Hillcrest.  During the 1993-94 campaign, Anderson coached his team to a 25-0 record to begin the season and a No. 17 national ranking.  He left Hillcrest as the school record holder in victories.

 While at Hillcrest, Anderson coached a pair of former Colorado Buffaloes, Ernest Renfroe (1997-2001) and Leroy Carter (1994-96). Next fall, incoming freshman Calvin Williams, a 6-7 forward, will rejoin his former coach on the Boulder campus.

 "He and I have been friends for a long time," said Patton. "I actually offered him a job in 1995 but at the time he was wasn't prepared to leave Memphis.  The time is right now; he spent 18 years at Hillcrest High in Memphis and was ready for a new challenge.

 "I think right off the bat he's going to bring a level of enthusiasm to our team, and that our players will respond right away.  Recruiting-wise, he's well connected in Memphis, a city that is loaded with rising seniors.  We've been able to establish an identity in Memphis?we've had one in years past, but this now makes us even stronger."

Anderson's collegiate playing career spanned four seasons at two different schools. He played two seasons at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where he received Player of the Year honors in 1980 and the Desire to Win award in 1979.  At Coahoma Junior College in Clarksdale, Miss. he earned two letters along with the Newcomer of the Year and the team best defensive player awards in 1977.

He graduated from Stillman College in 1980 with a bachelor of arts degree in health and science physical education, and in 1996 earned his master's degree in biology from LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis.

Anderson was born on June 6, 1958, in Como, Miss. and is married to the former Tiffany Beason. They have four children Sharonda (27), Jerametrius (26), Tameka (20) and John Jr. (5).  Jerametrius is a professional football player with the St. Louis Rams.  Anderson also has seven grandchildren.

"To have an opportunity to work for and with a guy of (Patton's) caliber was something I couldn't turn down," Anderson said. "Ricardo offered me a job in 1995, but at the time I was working on my master's and I had a young daughter I wanted to get out of school. But over the years we've kept our relationship and he called again this year. ... It's a great opportunity for me. It's going to afford me an opportunity to fulfill a dream."