Longtime FSU Assistant Takes Prep AD Position

Big Rapids, Mich. - When the Ferris State University men's basketball hits the floor for the first time this upcoming season, a familar face won't be present for the first time in nearly 14 years.

Longtime Bulldog assistant men's basketball coach Cory Anderson recently accepted a position as the athletics director at Forest Hills Eastern High School in the Grand Rapids (Mich.) area.  He had been affiliated with FSU men's basketball since transferring from Calvin for his final two seasons as a collegiate player in 1996.

"From a Ferris State standpoint, we're sad to see him go," said FSU head coach Bill Sall.  "However, we're happy to see him in a position he's excited about."

Anderson wrapped up his 11th season as the program's full-time assistant coach during the 2009-10 season.  He played two seasons at Ferris from 1996-98 before becoming a student assistant coach for the 1998-99 campaign and earning full-time status the following season.

Anderson was originally recruited to Calvin out of Kent City High School by Sall, who was then serving as a Calvin assistant coach.  When Sall left to become a Bulldog assistant coach in the mid-1990's, Anderson eventually transferred to Ferris and played under then head coach Edgar Wilson.

He was part of Wilson's staff following his Bulldog career until 2002 when Sall returned from an assistant coaching stint at Hillsdale to become the program's head coach.  He retained Anderson on staff and the two have been together ever since.

"Cory's been here the whole time I've been here," Sall said.  "It's not just been a working relationship, but he's also a really, really good friend.  These transitions are hard, but they are part of coaching."

Ironically, Anderson will be reunited at Forrest Hills Eastern with Wilson, who is presently serving as as an assistant principal at the Ada school, which opened in 2004 and has nearly doubled in size.

As an assistant coach, Anderson was instrumental in all phases of the Bulldog program. He assisted in the day-to-day operations and was also heavily involved with the coaching, recruiting and administrative aspects in addition to directing and organizing FSU's summer camp program.

During his tenure as an assistant coach, the Bulldogs captured back-to-back Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division Championships in 2003-04 and 2004-05 while making two consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament in both 2004-05 and 2005-06.  The squad reached the NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen during the 2004-05 season.

A two-year (1996-98) letterwinner for the Bulldogs, Anderson served as a senior tri-captain during the 1997-98 campaign. In 1997-98, he helped lead FSU to its first-ever GLIAC Tournament title, an appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the school's first 20-win season in nine years. He averaged 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while starting all 33 contests.

During his two-year career at Ferris State, Anderson started 47 consecutive games and tallied 343 points and 248 rebounds. He totaled 10.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest as a junior.

Prior to joining FSU, Anderson spent two seasons (1994-96) at NCAA Division III power Calvin College where he averaged 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

A 1994 graduate of Kent City High School, Anderson was a two-time all-state selection in basketball and football. The 6-5 prep standout also garnered All-Newaygo County Athletic Association honors three times each in both sports. He's also the older brother of former FSU center Adam Anderson (1998-03).

The son of John and Sally Anderson of Kent City, Mich., Anderson graduated from Ferris State with a bachelor's degree in education in 1999. He and his wife, Robyn, have two young sons, Cas and Trey.

The Bulldogs are presently midst a search and plan to fill the full-time assistant coaching post in the near future.