BREAKING: Kim Anderson stepping down as MU head basketball coach

[BR]

    University of Missouri Director of Athletics Jim Sterk has asked third-year Tigers' men's basketball coach Kim Anderson to step down from his position at the end of the 2016-17 season.

    "This decision has been very difficult for me personally because of the tremendous respect I have for Kim," Sterk said. "I know how hard he and his staff have worked to turn the program around over the last three years, however, the lack of on-court success has resulted in a significant drop in interest surrounding our program, and we could not afford for that to continue another year.

    "Kim has represented our program with character, integrity and class while dedicating himself to developing our student-athletes on and off the basketball court, and we are appreciative of his efforts and dedication to Mizzou and the Columbia community," he added. "Kim will always be a Tiger, and all of us are grateful for his contributions to our University as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach."

    The 18th men's basketball coach in Mizzou history, Anderson has registered a record of 26-67 at his alma mater and owns a career record of 300-162 heading into this week's Southeastern Conference Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. He won his 300th career game with the Tigers' 72-52 homecourt victory over Vanderbilt, Feb. 11.

    The former Big Eight Player of the Year (1977) and two-term assistant coach to Tiger icon Norm Stewart (1982-85, 1991-99) made academic achievement a hallmark of his program with Mizzou's latest summer (2016) in the classroom netting nine Tigers with session grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher. During the summer of 2015, Mizzou compiled a team GPA of 3.08; the program's highest term mark in more than five years, and its fall 2016 semester mark (2.61) was also the highest for that term in five years, as well.

    "Missouri is a special institution to my family and I, and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to serve as the head coach at my alma mater," Anderson said. "While we have faced significant challenges over the last three years and been unable to achieve the on-court results everyone would have liked, I do believe we have been able to stabilize the program while watching our players become responsible young men on and off the court.

    "I would especially like to thank my staff and players who have worked so hard to turn this program around," he added. "I'm proud of the growth I've seen in our players academically, athletically and socially since their arrival on campus, and feel very good about our efforts to serve Columbia, the University and the State of Missouri through impactful events and organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Tigers on the Prowl, Rally for Rhyan and the University of Missouri Children's Hospital."

    Prior to returning to Mizzou as head coach, Anderson spent 12 highly-successful seasons at the University of Central Missouri, registering a 12-year head coaching record of 274-95 (.743) with seven NCAA Tournament appearances to his credit. In his final season at the Warrensburg, Mo., school, he led the Mules to a 30-5 record and the 2014 NCAA Division II championship. His Mules reached the NCAA Tournament in seven of his last 10 seasons along the sideline, reaching the Final Four three times (2014, 2009 and 2007) and winning six MIAA regular-season titles. Anderson's teams registered 11 winning seasons with seven, 20-win campaigns.

    Anderson also spent three years as the Big 12 Conference's Assistant Commissioner/Men's Basketball, directing the officiating program and postseason tournament, and 17 seasons as an assistant coach at Mizzou (1983-85 & 1992-99) and Baylor (1986-91). He and his wife of 39 years, Melissa, have two sons, Ryan, an Assistant Sports Information Director at North Dakota State, and Brett, a 2014 Mizzou graduate and former Tiger men's basketball graduate assistant.

    "Missouri has a rich men's basketball tradition and the resources necessary to compete at the highest level," Sterk said. "We expect to compete for Southeastern Conference championships, consistently play in the postseason and continue to represent Mizzou the right way on and off the court.

    "A national search will begin immediately to identify and recruit the very best person to lead Mizzou Basketball into the future and we will utilize the services of a search consultant to assist in the identification and evaluation of candidates who are capable of returning our program to national prominence," he added.

    Missouri, the 14th seed in the 2017 Southeastern Conference Tournament, will face 11th-seeded Auburn in a first-round game at Bridgestone Arena, Wednesday, March 8th, at approximately 8:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.

    "In order to protect the integrity of the search, I will have no further public comments regarding the process or the status of any candidates until the announcement of our next head basketball coach is made," Sterk said.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/AaronMatas/status/838493382439624704

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/daniel_m_jones/status/838486107822166017

His three years at the helm in Columbia have been nightmarish. Missouri is 26-67 under Anderson, and its three consecutive 20-loss seasons are a first for the program and the Southeastern Conference.

Thirteen players either left the program voluntarily or were dismissed in Anderson's three years. The Tigers failed to win a road game in his tenure.

[mizzouman]

I'm hearing calls have been made for a couple of months already. 

First one to Marshall.  Threw a ton of $$ at him.  However, it doesn't look likely.  Many feel Marshall has a bigger target.  Mizzou is making a bid and if they don't get him, it won't be for the lack of trying.

Second call to Crean.  If IU tells Crean he has 1 more year to get to the final 4, Crean will stay.  He's a competitor.  But, if no extension or he gets fired, then he is extremely open to coming to Mizzou.

Third call to Cuonzo Martin.  Cuonzo is a ESTL guy with lots of ties in the area and would bolster the recruiting there.  But, some donors are not keen on him but not enough to where he would scratched off the list.

Fourth call to Frank Martin.  Mizzou brass loves this guy but may be too expensive.  He buyout is astronomical from what I hear, like around $4 mill.  That first year of coaching would be rather expensive.

Others on that will be contact is Holtman and Keats.  I would take the 6 listed against the field.

Another note.  Romar at Washington is about to get fired.  Many believe he will, but there's still a faction of Husky donors that want him only because he can recruit and there's always hope.  But the hope is fading.  We'll see what happens.  The only reason I mention this is because if he does get fired, then look for the Porter boys to give Mizzou a strong look especially if Crean is the head coach.  MPJ's top school was Mizzou then Indiana then Virginia.  Obviously signed with UW because his dad was hired.  If that would not have happened, then it was either Mizzou or Indiana. 

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Dave_Matter/status/839499485084598272

As Indiana coach Tom Crean tried to rally his struggling team for the Big Ten Tournament, his future at the school remained open to debate.

Some experts figure he was as good as gone. Others can't believe Indiana would really fire a coach with recent conference titles and Sweet 16 appearances to his credit.

Many folks see Missouri as a logical destination for Crean, perhaps after his people negotiate an uncontested divorce with the school. Others wonder if Indiana would only excuse Crean after it struck a deal with a top-tier replacement.

Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel made a case for giving Crean another go. In part, this was his take:

Indiana fans, at least the ones making the most noise, want a new coach. They'd love Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics and they'd settle for Tony Bennett of Virginia. What Indiana could get remains to be seen, but here are two names Indiana wouldn't be able to get:

Brad Stevens. Tony Bennett.

Look, the world has changed. You're sick of reading it? Good. I'm sick of writing it. Maybe now's the time we can move on to the world we live in today, a world where Indiana cannot simply snap its fingers and hire whomever it wants. This isn't that kind of program. It's close, but close doesn't cut it.

To get an A-list coach, a no-brainer, the kind of guy you simply know will take IU to a Final Four sooner than later? That guy already has a great job in the NBA or at Virginia or Arizona (Sean Miller) or UCLA (Steve Alford). Indiana cannot fire Tom Crean and snap its fingers and make Billy Donovan (Oklahoma City Thunder) appear.

Fred Glass knows it, believe me. Do I think Glass is determined to bring back Crean, no matter what? No. But I do believe Glass is inclined to bring back Crean, just as he was inclined to bring back football coach Kevin Wilson year after year, until the day comes when he simply can't justify bringing him back again.

But Doyel didn't mention two more realistic targets for Indiana, Archie Miller and Chris Mack. Long-time Louisville columnist Rick Bozich, writing for WDRB.com, opined that Crean looks ready to skate:

What Tubby Smith faced at Kentucky is what Tom Crean confronts at Indiana: An uneasy brew of fan anger and apathy.

[jbcarol]

 Jeff Goodman‏Verified account @GoodmanESPN Mar 7

Missouri is a far more logical potential landing spot for Crean.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Dave_Matter/status/839927808335962112

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Dave_Matter/status/839983001220071424

If Mizzou can win 4 more games in 4 days, Anderson gets another $100K: $50K for winning the SEC tourney & $50K for making NCAA tourney.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Ben_Fred/status/839980056587997186

Former Tiger and Wildcat lead guard

[The Boar War]

https://twitter.com/Dave_Matter/status/839927808335962112

Or maybe he's just not interested.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/cliffWISH8/status/840375172880306177

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/841472780059197442

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/GabeDeArmond/status/842101387999682560

[jbcarol]

 Austin Kim‏ @AustinKKim 53m53 minutes ago

Before this offseason, has Mizzou Basketball ever hired an established head coach from a major conference before??

Norm Stewart, Quin Snyder and Mike Anderson were all up and coming names. Haith* was random. Anderson was D II

*Not when those of us in Columbia all had to Google his name when he was hired