John Anderson (baseball coach)

John Anderson (born May 16, 1955)^[1] is an American college baseball coach and former pitcher. He is the former head baseball coach at the University of Minnesota. Anderson played college baseball at the University of Minnesota from 1974 to 1975, until injuries ended his career. In 38 seasons (as of the end of the 2019 season), Anderson has led the Golden Gophers to a record of 1,317 wins, 887 losses and three ties.^[1] In the Big Ten he has led Golden Gophers to a record of 592 wins and 351 losses in that same span.^[1]

John Anderson

Biographical details
Born	(1955-05-16) May 16, 1955 (age 69) Hibbing, Minnesota, U.S.
Alma mater	Minnesota ('77)
Playing career
1974–1975	Minnesota
Position(s)	Pitcher
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1976–1977	Minnesota (SA)
1978	Minnesota (GA)
1979–1981	Minnesota (asst.)
1982–2024	Minnesota
Head coaching record
Overall	1,390–1,021–3
Tournaments	NCAA: 20–38
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4× Big Ten Western Division Championships (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987) 7× Big Ten Regular season Championships (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2018) 9× Big Ten tournament Championships (1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2018) 18× NCAA tournament Appearances (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018)
Awards
8× Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year (1982, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2018) ABCA Hall of Fame Inductee (2008)

Playing career

Anderson graduated from Nashwauk-Keewatin High School in Nashwauk, Minnesota in 1973.^[2] Anderson would next enroll at the University of Minnesota, where he would walk-on to the Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team. After pitching for two years, an arm injury forced Anderson to quit playing.^[3] He remained as a student coach for the next two years, and was even voted as MVP of the 1977 team.

Coaching career

Following his graduation in 1977, longtime Gophers coach Dick Siebert named him a graduate assistant. Siebert died in the winter of 1978, and successor George Thomas named Anderson a full-time assistant. Thomas resigned in 1981, and Anderson became head coach at the age of 26–at the time, the youngest head baseball coach in Big Ten history. He has spent his entire adult life at the U of M as a player, assistant coach or head coach.

His most successful team was the 2018 unit, which reached the super regional round–the Gophers' deepest tournament run since their last College World Series appearance in 1977.

Anderson announced in December 2023 that 2024 would be his last season coaching.^[4] He had spent the first half-century of his adult life at Minnesota as a player, assistant coach, and head coach.

Head coaching record

Below is a table of Anderson's yearly records as an NCAA head baseball coach.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big Ten Conference) (1982–2024)
1982	Minnesota	33–22–1	8–8	T–2nd (Western)	NCAA Regional
1983	Minnesota	27–21	12–2	1st (Western)	Big Ten tournament
1984	Minnesota	31–20	11–5	1st (Western)	Big Ten tournament
1985	Minnesota	33–23	9–7	2nd (Western)	NCAA Regional
1986	Minnesota	40–19	10–5	1st (Western)	Big Ten tournament
1987	Minnesota	36–25	12–4	1st (Western)	NCAA Regional
1988	Minnesota	38–28	17–11	2nd	NCAA Regional
1989	Minnesota	31–22–1	15–12	5th
1990	Minnesota	36–24–1	19–9	T–2nd	Big Ten tournament
1991	Minnesota	37–27	18–10	2nd	NCAA Regional
1992	Minnesota	42–21	18–10	2nd	NCAA Regional
1993	Minnesota	43–18	17–9	2nd	NCAA Regional
1994	Minnesota	42–21	21–7	2nd	NCAA Regional
1995	Minnesota	31–28	16–12	2nd	Big Ten tournament
1996	Minnesota	30–26	15–12	5th
1997	Minnesota	30–24	15–10	5th
1998	Minnesota	45–15	19–9	2nd	NCAA Regional
1999	Minnesota	46–18	21–7	2nd	NCAA Regional
2000	Minnesota	38–24	20–8	1st	NCAA Regional
2001	Minnesota	39–21	19–8	3rd	NCAA Regional
2002	Minnesota	32–26	18–10	1st	Big Ten tournament
2003	Minnesota	40–22	24–6	1st	NCAA Regional
2004	Minnesota	38–23	21–10	1st	NCAA Regional
2005	Minnesota	33–29	17–15	6th	Big Ten tournament
2006	Minnesota	34–26	17–14	4th	Big Ten tournament
2007	Minnesota	41–18	18–9	T–2nd	NCAA Regional
2008	Minnesota	20–35	10–21	9th
2009	Minnesota	40–19	17–6	2nd	NCAA Regional
2010	Minnesota	32–30	15–9	1st	NCAA Regional
2011	Minnesota	25–24	13–11	T–4th	Big Ten tournament
2012	Minnesota	29–27	11–13	T–6th
2013	Minnesota	32–22	13–8	4th	Big Ten tournament
2014	Minnesota	27–24	13–11	T-4th	Big Ten tournament
2015	Minnesota	21–30	9–15	9th
2016	Minnesota	36–22	16–7	1st	Big Ten tournament
2017	Minnesota	36–21	15–8	3rd	Big Ten tournament
2018	Minnesota	44–15	18–4	1st	NCAA Super Regional
2019	Minnesota	29–27	15–9	T-3rd	Big Ten tournament
2020	Minnesota	8–10	0–0		Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021	Minnesota	6–31	6–31	13th
2022	Minnesota	16–36	6–18	13th
2023	Minnesota	18–34	10–14	10th
2024	Minnesota	25–23	11–13	T–9th
Total:		1,390–1,021–3
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Awards and honors

• Big Ten Coach of the Year (1982, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2018)^[1]
• ABCA Hall of Fame Inductee^[1]

Personal

Anderson graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1977 with a B.S. in Education. Anderson and his wife Jan are the parents of daughter Erin Elizabeth.^[1]

See also

• List of college baseball career coaching wins leaders