Hank Anderson
Hank Anderson (1920-2005)
Teams coached: Gonzaga Bulldogs, Montana State Bobcats
Gonzaga record: 290-275 (.513)
Montana State record: 28-24 (.538)
Overall record: 318-299 (.515)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- Big Sky Regular Season Champion: 2 (1966, 1967)
- NAIA Tournament Appearances: 1 (1953)
Awards:
- Big Sky Coach of the Year: 1 (1966)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
1972-1974 | Montana State |
1951-1972 | Gonzaga |
Hank Anderson Facts
- Thor Henry Anderson
- Born December 5, 1920
- Died September 5, 2005
- Hometown: Milton-Freewater, Oregon
- Alma Mater: University of Oregon (BA, 1941)
- After graduating from Burns HS (OR) and started his collegiate at Eastern Oregon Normal School
- Transferred to Oregon in 1939, playing basketball for the Ducks for two years under coach Howard Hobson
- Spent two years as the head coach at Baker HS (OR), separated by his US Army Air Force service during WWII
- Also coached at Medford HS (OR) for one year and Grants Pass HS (OR) for four seasons
- His overall high school coaching record was 167-43; in 1950, his Grants Pass team was state runner-up
- Hired in 1951 to be the head basketball coach at Gonzaga, then an Independent program
- Led the Bulldogs for 21 seasons, going 290-275 overall and finishing above .500 eleven times
- In 1953, Anderson also became the athletic director at Gonzaga, serving in both roles until 1972
- Gonzaga moved to the Big Sky in 1963 and the Bulldogs won the Big Sky title in both in 1966 and 1967
- Made the surprising move in 1972 to leave Gonzaga for conference rival Montana State
- Coached the Bobcats for just two seasons, going 28-24 overall
- In 1974, Anderson became the athletic director at Northern Arizona, serving in that role until his 1983 retirement
- Oversaw construction of the Walkup Skydome (opened in 1977) and was on the Fiesta Bowl board of directors
- Later worked with the Las Vegas Stars, a minor league baseball team coached by another former Gonzaga AD Larry Koentopp
- Passed away in 2005 at the age of 84 after suffering an aortic aneurysm in Gig Harbor, WA
Hank Anderson Coaching Tree
- coming soon