Jim Anderson

James Edward Anderson (April 20, 1937 – March 4, 2024) was an American college basketball player and coach. He was a longtime assistant at Oregon State University (OSU) to head coaches Paul Valenti and Ralph Miller, given credit for recruiting a series of top-level players to the school during the 1970s and 1980s. Anderson assumed the role as head coach of men's basketball at OSU from 1989 to 1995, compiling a record of 79–90.

Anderson was inducted as a member of the Oregon State Hall of Fame and the Pac-12 Hall of Honor.

Biography Early years Jimmy Anderson was born April 20, 1937, in Britton, South Dakota, to Harry and Mary Anderson. He was the third-born of a family of five children. In his 1959 senior season he was named to the Classic's all-tournament team.

Anderson began his stint as assistant varsity coach under head coach Paul Valenti in 1964, continuing in that role when the position was assumed by future Hall of Fame coach Ralph Miller. "He followed me everywhere," Conner recalled. "Street kid from the rough streets of Oakland, a Caucasian man — that's hard for us to do. You know, the trust factor and everything else.... If it wasn't for Jimmy, I wouldn't have gone to Oregon State. I owe all the credit in the world to Jimmy Anderson."

In his first season at Oregon State, he was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year and led the Beavers to the 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, the school's last NCAA Tournament appearance until 2016.

A smooth transition from the legendary Miller to his vaunted assistant proved impossible, however, and the OSU program faltered over the next five years, leading to Anderson's dismissal following the disappointing 1994–95 season.

Personal life Anderson married the former Fifi Quisenberry, a woman he met while working as a teacher's assistant in a health class.

At the time of his death, Anderson was honored with a statement from US Senator Ron Wyden, who declared, "The history of it cannot be written without a huge chapter on Jimmy Anderson, a class act who played a big role over the years in OSU basketball."

Anderson was inducted as a member of the Oregon State Hall of Fame and the Pac-12 Hall of Honor.

Head coaching record