FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
HOUSTON–Former Oklahoma State head coach Frank Anderson has become the newest member of the University of Houston baseball coaching staff, head coach Todd Whitting announced Friday.
“Coach Anderson is well regarded in Division I baseball as one of the premier pitching coaches in the nation,” said Whitting. “This is a tremendous hire for our program and I am very excited for our players to have the opportunity to work with him. His track record with not only the individuals he has coached but also the pitching staffs and teams he has built is impeccable.
“Coach Anderson’s decision to be a part of our team speaks volumes for the respect our program has on a national level and as one of the premier college baseball programs in the country. I am very excited to welcome Frank, Sandra, Brett and Katelyn to the UH family.”
Anderson will serve primarily as Houston’s pitching coach and brings nine years of head coaching experience to the program. The former OSU head coach enjoyed an impressive stint as the leader of the Cowboys since 2003.
“I am excited to be joining Coach Whitting and his staff at the University of Houston, Anderson said. “With its rich history and the deep recruiting base in this area, this program is poised for great things in the future. I look forward to working with all our student-athletes and can’t wait for the start of the 2013 season.”
AT OKLAHOMA STATE
In his first eight seasons, Anderson led OSU to six NCAA Regional appearances and recorded at least 41 wins in three straight seasons (2006-08). He made an immediate impact in his first season at the helm, leading the Cowboys to an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2001. Under his direction, Oklahoma State captured the 2004 Big 12 Tournament crown, the first in program history.
Year three for Anderson was also impressive as he led the Cowboys to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament after a 41-20 record. The 2006 season opened the doors for national recognition as Oklahoma State went on to finish in the Top 25 in three straight years (2006-08). Anderson’s squad was ranked as high as No. 5 in 2008 and went on to finish the season ranked No. 17 by Baseball America following a 44-18 mark and the opportunity to host an NCAA Regional in Stillwater. The Cowboys also posted solid numbers, leading the Big 12 in batting average (.326) and earned run average (3.98).
2011 marked another solid season for Anderson as Oklahoma State secured a return trip to the NCAA Tournament and appeared in national rankings for seven consecutive weeks after compiling 10 wins against ranked teams. Adding to the 2011 season, the OSU pitching staff turned in a 3.79 ERA, its lowest since 1974, and tossed seven shutouts, the most by any Cowboy staff since 1986.
Anderson was instrumental in the development of First Team All-American pitcher Andrew Heaney in 2012, who was also tabbed Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 this past season. The southpaw was 8-2 and held a 1.60 ERA with a nation-leading 140 strikeouts. He was the ninth overall pick in this year’s MLB First Year Player Draft, selected by Miami.
AT TEXAS
Prior to Anderson’s stint as the leader of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, he served as the pitching coach at Texas from 2000-03. He was the key force behind the Longhorns’ run to the national title in 2002. Considered one of the top pitching coaches in the country, Anderson developed a pitching staff that helped lead UT to three College World Series appearances during his time in Austin.
The pitching staffs at Texas led the Big 12 conference in team ERA in each of his four seasons and finished in the top five in the nation three times. The Texas staff recorded sparkling team ERAs of 2.82 in 2002, 3.17 in 2001 and 3.30 in 2000 and also posted the program’s best team ERA since 1983 (2.72) and the second-lowest ERA nationally in the 2002 campaign. They went on to compile a 3.50 ERA, which was in the top 15 in NCAA in 2003.
PRIOR STINTS
Before joining the Longhorn coaching staff, Anderson spent nine seasons (1990-99) as an assistant coach at Texas Tech. Anderson was a part of the program’s first NCAA appearance in 1995 behind a school-record 51-14 mark. Anderson also served as an assistant coach at Howard College from 1987-89 and at his alma mater, Emporia State from 1983-85.
PERSONAL
Anderson is a native of Grant, Nebraska. A graduate of Emporia State in Kansas in 1983, Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and went on to pursue his master’s degree. Prior to attending ESU, Anderson was a junior college All-American at Mid-Plains Junior College in North Platte, Neb. He is married to wife, Sandra. The couple has two children, son Brett, who pitches for the Oakland Athletics and daughter Katelyn.
