Missouri AD confirms commitment to coach Kim Anderson
Missouri's Kim Anderson will remain the coach of the Tigers.
Anderson, 60, took over two years ago after Frank Haith left for Tulsa. He has gone 19-44 in two seasons in Columbia. Missouri has been 3-15 in SEC play in each of his two seasons.
There was speculation that Missouri athletic director Mack Rhoades might make a change, despite Anderson being on board for just two years.
Rhoades said Wednesday that he met with Anderson earlier in the week to share expectations for next season.
"No one is satisfied with the number of wins our team has earned in the past two seasons,'' Rhoades said. "No one wants to win more than Coach Anderson.''
Rhoades said he expected Anderson to serve as a "role model'' for students.
Anderson said he looks forward to the challenge of putting the school back on the map. He is a former star player and assistant coach under Norm Stewart at Missouri, which he said "holds a special place in my heart.''
"Mack understands the challenges we've faced and has been very supportive,'' Anderson said.
Missouri self-imposed a postseason ban in January after admitting NCAA violations that occurred in the program on Haith's watch. The Tigers also vacated 23 wins from Haith's final season in Columbia. Haith left Missouri shortly after the school received a verbal notice of inquiry from the NCAA.
Anderson played his college ball at Missouri before being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977. He also played in Italy and France. Anderson was an assistant at Missouri on two separate occasions before becoming the head coach at Central Missouri for 12 seasons. He won the Division II national championship in 2014.
Anderson signed a five-year contract when he was hired.
"No one is more disappointed than me, but no one is more motivated to get this program competing at a high level again,'' Anderson said. "Our goal remains to compete and to win at the highest level and to do so with integrity and class.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
