From LBCC reports
Former Long Beach City College men’s basketball assistant coach Mike Anderson has been named the new head coach of women’s basketball at LBCC.
“We are thrilled to announce the hiring of Mike Anderson as our women’s basketball head coach,” said Connie Sears, LBCC women’s athletic director. “We look forward to Mike bringing his expertise, energy and passion to the program. His track record speaks for itself. He is very well known in the basketball community which was extremely important to us.”
“Mike shares the same vision as the college of developing the balanced student-athlete and working towards the goal of moving on to a four-year institution,” Sears added. “He embodies and embraces the Student-Athlete Success initiative that is in place here at LBCC.”
Anderson returns to LBCC after a successful seven-year run (2004-10) at Magnolia High School in Anaheim where he guided both the girl’s and boy’s varsity basketball squads.
“I am very excited and ready to hit the ground running,” said Anderson. “It’s going to be a challenge. Coaches thrive on challenges. I’m ready to bring my passion and enthusiasm here and build a program that is viewed positively in the community.”
While at Magnolia, Anderson immediately transformed relatively unknown girl’s and boy’s basketball programs into champions.
In six seasons, he led the Magnolia girls to a 126-52 overall record. His teams won 59 straight league contests on their way to six consecutive Orange League championships.
His 2008 squad won the CIF Division III Southern Section Championship and reached the CIF state championship game as he was named the State Division III Coach of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports and was also named Coach of the Year by the Orange County Register.
In 2006, he guided the Magnolia girls to the CIF Southern Section finals and advanced to the state championship quarterfinals on his way to being named the Los Angeles Times Coach of the Year.
On the boy’s side this past winter, he led Magnolia to the school’s first Orange League title in 12 years and was named league coach of the year for the second time.
Prior to Magnolia, Anderson was the head coach of boy’s basketball at Bolsa Grande High School (1996-2000).
Anderson leaves the high school ranks with a 245-152 overall record in girl’s and boy’s games at both Magnolia and Bolsa Grande. He won eight league titles and advanced to the CIF quarterfinals or better six times.
Mike Anderson also served as an assistant coach for Gary Anderson’s men’s basketball squads while at LBCC for three seasons (2001-04).
Anderson takes over the LBCC women’s basketball program that compiled a 3-21 overall record last season. Despite getting a late start, Anderson looks forward to recruiting and preparing for the upcoming 2010-11 season.
“I’m ready to bring a new outlook on the program,” said Anderson. “LBCC is a community college, there is no reason why kids from our community shouldn’t be playing here. Local recruiting will be the foundation of the program. There are too many resources in this area. We want kids that want to be here. And we want kids with a good work ethic. There is no reason why we can’t get the job done here, it’s just a matter of when.”