Joseph Anders begins his fourth season as the New Mexico Highlands head women's basketball coach.

For Anders, very little has ever come to him without hard work. Anders acquired that hard working mentality early on, starting with the sage wisdom from his grandfather who said that his father did Anders a great service by teaching him to work. His willingness to work hard has helped Anders achieve success at every stop in his career - a career spanning more than 30 years - with a four-year stint at The University of New Mexico, an 11-year tenure at Arizona State University, six years as head coach of the men’s basketball team at Cal State Sacramento, four years with New Mexico State and a two-year stop at Mississippi State University, as well as coaching positions at East Carolina, Arkansas and a highly successful high school coaching record in Arkansas and Louisiana.

Anders’ desire to enter the coaching profession also came to the Newport, Arkansas, native when he was young as he noticed a common quality among the people he admired.

“I knew early on that I wanted to be a coach. By the time I was in seventh grade, I knew I wanted to be involved with teaching and coaching,” he said. “I grew up in a small town in Arkansas, and the people I admired were my teachers and coaches.  They were the people who were looked up to in the community, the people involved in the development of the young people who eventually shaped our community.”

A self-described “late bloomer” who did not earn a starting role in basketball until he was a high school senior, Anders began his collegiate career as a walk-on at Southern Baptist College in Walnut Ridge, Ark. With hard work and dedication, he started 22 of 30 games as a freshman and earned a scholarship. As a sophomore, he was named a team captain and earned all-conference honors before transferring to the University of Arkansas at Monticello for his final two collegiate seasons. A two-time all-conference selection, Anders says that he became a dedicated student-athlete while at Arkansas-Monticello.

“My education became even more important to me,” he said. “My focus was on being a student and an athlete, and I was named to the dean’s list while I was there.”

Anders received his first coaching position at his alma mater, spending one season as a student assistant for his college coach. From there he went on to serve as a boys and girls high school coach in Arkansas and Louisiana. After three years, Anders had the opportunity to return to the collegiate ranks and spent one season as an assistant coach with the women’s basketball program at the University of Arkansas. From Arkansas, he joined the men’s basketball staff at Sacramento State where he was promoted to head coach in December of 1986.

In his first full season as head coach, Anders guided the Hornets to one of the best years in the school’s history, posting a 22-6 record, advancing to the 1988 NCAA Division II Tournament and finishing the season ranked eighth in the nation. For his efforts, Anders was named Northern California Coach of the Year and nominated for regional coach of the year honors as well as the Sacramento Kings Collegiate Coach of the Year award. Anders spent six seasons as the head coach at Sacramento State posting in a 75-86 record and helped guide the program from Division II to Division I. 

Anders then served at Northern Arizona for two seasons where he met Charli Turner Thorne who was the women’s coach. It was this relationship that would help shape the journey that led him to New Mexico Highlands.

“Charli and I became friends at NAU, and she was very instrumental in me going back to the women’s game,” Anders said. “Charli told me she thought I had qualities which would be a good addition to the women’s basketball world and helped me secure a position at Mississippi State.”

So it was that Anders returned to the women’s game - spending two years as an assistant at Mississippi State (1994-96), four seasons at New Mexico State (1996-00), one season at East Carolina (2000-01), 11 at Arizona State (2001-2012) and  four years at The University of New Mexico (2012-16). During the 15 seasons prior to taking over at New Mexico Highlands, teams that Anders assisted with or was in charge of, participated in post season play 13 times. Anders led or assisted with teams that made it into two NCAA Elite Eights,  five straight NCAA Tournaments, four National Invitational Tournaments and two WBCI Tournaments during that span. Throughout his career of high school and collegiate coaching, Anders has been associated with teams that have combined for more than 557 wins.

“Clearly, I have had the privilege of working with some amazing young people during my career, they have helped me as much as I have assisted them," Anders said. "I am truly grateful for each and every one of them for their commitment to excellence and their dedication to the process established by our coaching staffs.  Our love for the game was only matched by their love for the game but more so their legacy that will live with me forever."

Those students include: Three Honorable Mention All-Americans; 17 all-conference athletes for a total of 26 times; eight all-conference defensive recognitions (10 times);eight all-freshman honors; seven Pac-10/Pac-12 All-Tournament honors (8 times); two Pac-10 All-Defensive Players of the Year; 22 All-Academic honorees (49 times) including 22 first- and second-team selections; A Pac-10 Scholar Athlete of the Year and Pac-10 Medal of Honor selection as well as three NCAA All-Tournament selections and six WNBA participants.
 
Joseph Anders File:
Birthdate: August 31, 1958
Hometown: Newport, Arkansas
High School: Newport High School
College: University of Arkansas Monticello
Family: Wife, Pamela, Daughter Nicole
 
Collegiate Coaching History:
2016 – Present    New Mexico Highlands
2012 – 2016        University of New Mexico
2001 – 2012        Arizona State University
2000 – 2001        East Carolina University
1996 – 2000        New Mexico State University
1994 – 1996        Mississippi State University
1992 – 1994        Northern Arizona University
1985 – 1992        Sacramento State University
1984 – 1985        University of Arkansas