Published: June 18, 2008 12:43 am            

‘It wasn’t an easy decision’

Anderson steps down as Hornet varsity boys basketball coach after eight seasons

After eight seasons at the helm of the Huntsville boys basketball program, head coach Doug Anderson turned in his resignation to Hornets athletic director Mitchell Coey on Monday.

It was a tough decision, but Anderson decided he wanted to spend more time with his family and will take a teaching position at Willis High School in order to be closer to his home in Montgomery.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but it is something I knew was going to come because of my kids,” Anderson said Monday. “My wife works in Houston and we need to cut the gap in traveling. My kids go to two different schools and in the past we have had friends help us out when I was off coaching or my wife was working. It’s not fair to ask for them to do that anymore.

“I’m going to take a year off from coaching and maybe get back in it next year when both my kids are at the same school. This just makes things easier and I can spend more time being a father.”

After taking over a struggling program in the fall of 2000, Anderson led the Hornets to a 152-99 record in eight seasons. He also won three district championships, including two perfect league marks in 2004 (10-0 in 19-4A) and 2008 (12-0 in 18-4A).

Huntsville improved in Anderson’s first two years as head coach before finally making it back to the playoffs in 2004 after going 26-5. His best season came in 2007 when the Hornets won the first of back-to-back 18-4A titles, went 30-4 and advanced to the Region III semifinals before losing to Beaumont Ozen 50-48 on a last-second shot.

This past year, Huntsville ran the 18-4A table and made it to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs, where the Hornets put a scare into No. 1 Houston Yates, losing 63-62 and finishing the season 26-6.

Anderson leaves behind a solid nucleus, which is only losing two players from last season’s squad, and some talented junior varsity players, who also won a district title, that should be in the running for a third straight league championship next season.

“I thought about this for a while and it was hard considering the kids we have coming back next season,” Anderson said. “We have eight or nine kids back and have some kids coming up from a junior varsity team that had a great season last year.

“I’m so proud of this group because a lot of stuff happened this past year and they stayed focused and did everything we asked,” the coach added. “I would also like to thank my assistants — Jason Elliott, who was with me in the beginning, and Larry Carlson. Without them and the great kids we had, none of this would have been possible. I’m thankful for the opportunity over the past eight years and part of me will always be a Hornet.”

The Hornets finished with winning records in each of the past five seasons, including a couple of years in Class 5A. In 2006, the Hornets just missed making the playoffs in District 14-5A, going 22-9 and 11-5 in league play.

Coey said the search for a replacement would begin immediately, but he hated to see Anderson step down.

“We hate that coach Anderson is leaving us, but he wants to spend more time with his kids,” Coey said Monday afternoon. “We will begin our search immediately and try to find a replacement as soon as possible. We are going to put the job out there and see what kind of applicants we can get, and we will certainly take a look at the coaches we have on staff. We are going to take a hard look and find the most qualified candidate for the job.

“But coach Anderson has definitely left a good program intact and has built a good foundation for the future.”

        

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