CALDWELL, Idaho – College of Idaho track and cross country assistant coach
Mike Anderson can regularly be found running or walking around campus.
He's typically joined by his 10-year old golden retriever Lucy, who enjoys greeting those that she and Mike pass on the journey.
More often than not - as is often the case with dogs - it's Lucy who is the star of the show when making those rounds around campus.
"Lucy gets lots of attention from students and staff on campus and she demands as much attention as she can get," Anderson said. "She is extremely friendly and social - which I am not always - and she helps me be better at being both social and friendly."
One of the longest tenured coaches in the athletic department, Anderson has become a familiar face around C of I over the past 13 years.
A graduate of Eastern Oregon University, he ran collegiately for the Mountaineers, with his career highlighted by being named an NAIA All-American in cross country following the 2000 season.
His path to Caldwell started thanks in large part to whoever made the rooming assignments during his time as a student at EOU.
Pat McCurry, who would go on to become the head coach of the track and cross country programs at C of I, happened to be one of Anderson's roommates.
An opportunity came up for the two to reunite when Tim Riley, one of McCurry's assistants and another one of Anderson's roommates in college, left for grad school.
Riley's position was offered to Anderson, who eventually became a full-time member of the coaching staff when
Austin Basterrechea took over the track and cross country programs at C of I in 2016.
For Basterrechea, having Anderson as his right-hand man has been integral in the success of the program.
"It's fairly difficult to put into words how much Mike has helped and continues to help me in the role of head coach," Basterrechea said. "I'm not sure I would be a head coach if it wasn't for Mike and we wouldn't have nearly the successes or culture that we've established as a program without him."
Anderson says the friendships made with current and former coaches in the program - including Basterrechea and McCurry - the latter of which went on to lead a pair of Division I programs, first at Boise State and now at San Francisco, has been one of his favorite aspects of the position.
"I have made great friends over the years with our coaching staff. Our track staff has been a close-knit group over the years, and even when they move on from coaching, they are still a huge part of the program."
A distance running specialist, Anderson has coached four distance runners who have won NAIA national titles at C of I including
Hillary Holt,
Sora Klopfenstein,
Sarah Johnson and
Molly Vitale-Sullivan, in addition to helping lead the cross country program to a combined national championship in 2019.
Between track and cross country, Anderson has been around for a dozen Cascade Conference titles.
He credits great leadership from the student-athletes, a willingness to put group achievement over individual achievement and a consistent and purpose-driven training and racing approach as key factors in the success of the program.
"We have been blessed to have some truly great leaders come through our program," Anderson said. "We are a fairly low mileage program, but we try to train smart and with a consistent purpose, which is racing at our best in November and May. We try really hard to create a supportive team environment. We want our athletes to be able to keep racing, even when they are not at their best."
The impressive track record speaks for itself - the formula works.
"The factor that has remained constant from our successes in the early 2000's to now has been Mike," Basterrechea said. "Having him at the helm of our distance and middle-distance programs has continued to make our team one of the most consistent programs in the NAIA. I can't thank him enough for all that he has done for our program. As a young coach early in my career, Mike brought comfort and was always the reassuring nod when it came down to tough decisions. While there were many things I was comfortable with after taking over, there were also a lot of gaps in my knowledge that Mike helped fill."
His guidance has helped plenty of students in the program as well.
"Mike's capability as a coach lies not only in his extremely effective training plans, but in his ability to provide guidance for any athletes that needs it," said distance runner
Josh Frey.
For Anderson, he says there are plenty of memories from his 13 seasons in the program that stand out to him.
"The surprise fourth place finish at nationals by our 2016 men's cross country team comes to mind," Anderson said. "We were a really young team, but had one of the best leaders in
Dylan Walker that our program has seen. The go for broke and why not attitude that our guys took to nationals will be something I will never forget."
Another favorite cross country memory was the 2019 women's team finishing as the silver medalists at the NAIA Championships.
"This past year's women's cross country nationals is something I will also never forget," Anderson said. "Our ladies worked together so well and were willing to sacrifice for each other. Watching that pay off on the course was a true highlight."
Come springtime, the conference meet is always one of the main highlights of each track season.
"We have always stressed team finish over individual races and there have been so many individuals that have sacrificed for the group," Anderson said. "I think a great example of this was from 2018. Liza Safford has a great picture of our ladies together right after the 10K. We asked a ton from those ladies, and they sacrificed a lot of individual glory - but they raced so hard for each other and their team - and that helped our team win the conference title."
While the competition results speak for themselves, the classroom performance for the student-athletes in the program has always remained a main priority.
"I think our program has done well in the classroom because we stress that," Anderson said. "When we get an athlete on campus I think we spend 70 percent of the visit on academics. This is mainly because we want to be a part of our athlete's college experience, but not the whole thing."
The student-athletes who have come through the program appreciate all that Anderson has done for them.
"Mike takes his job as coach seriously and it is obvious that he puts his whole heart into what he does," said distance runner
Chaye Uptmor. "He has helped create an environment for his athletes that fosters growth - both athletic growth and mental growth. I feel blessed to have him as a coach and he has had a big impact on my time here at C of I."
His technical knowledge has been a major benefit to the athletes as well.
"Mike is a kind and knowledgeable man who knows how to help student-athletes get the most out of the program," said distance runner
Marcos Cervantes. "His guidance helped me maximize my strengths and learn how my weaknesses can make me stronger."
Each student-athlete expressed gratitude for the type of person Anderson is.
"He is all-around one of the best people I could ask to coach me," said distance runner
Abbey Shirts. "He consistently pushes me to and past my limits, cares for his athletes and he understands what it takes to motivates all of his athletes."
Similar to the student-athletes that they lead, coaches typically don't get much free time, although Anderson makes sure to keep plenty of time open to stay active himself.
"I am really a boring person outside of coaching," Anderson said. "I enjoy hiking and exploring in the outdoors, but usually only in nice weather. I really don't like the cold."
With temperatures expected to reach the upper 90s throughout the Treasure Valley this weekend, it looks like he shouldn't have to worry about that cold weather for a while.
