Fansided

25 worst coaching hires in the history of college basketball

By Joey Loose

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 21: Head coach Billy Gillispie of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to the action during the SEC game against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena on January 21, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 21: Head coach Billy Gillispie of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to the action during the SEC game against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena on January 21, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 25
Next
Worst college basketball coach hires
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – JANUARY 14: Head Coach Kim Anderson of the Missouri Tigers in the huddle during a timeout against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on January 14, 2017 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 92-73. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

24. Kim Anderson – Missouri (2014-2017)

  • 27-68 record (3 seasons)

It’s not hard to find twenty-five coaches who either disgraced their program or failed to live up to expectations; in fact, we seem to find them in bunches. Missouri brought aboard Frank Haith in 2011 and the results were ecstatic, with a 30-win season in his debut before things started to come back to reality. During his third and final season, Haith was briefly suspended for NCAA violations, though the discovery of more a few years later led to all of those 2013-14 wins being vacated. However, it’s not Haith that we’re focusing on today.

Kim Anderson lived and breathed Missouri basketball, playing and coaching under the legendary Norm Stewart for nearly two decades. Having just led Central Missouri to the D2 national title in 2014, he was hired to come home to Columbia and lead his Tigers. The good news is that Anderson was a solid man and a hard-working coach; there were no allegations or violations that had a major effect on the Missouri program as a result of his hiring. Unfortunately, that was the only good news during his three years in control.

Missouri struggled mightily these next three years under Anderson’s helm, finishing last place in the SEC in each of those three seasons. The Tigers may have been relatively new to the conference, but that’s no excuse for a startling 8-46 run-through league play. Missouri was a fantastic-looking 2-seed back in 2012, but the program had completely fallen apart in these last few years. Sure, some of that blame fell on Haith, but it’s on Anderson that this program couldn’t bounce back any better.