Former FAMU Assistant Basketball Coach Donald L. Anderson Passes

COACH DONALD L. ANDERSON
Courtesy: FAMU Athletics

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (June 18) – Former Florida A&M University assistant men's basketball coach Don Anderson passed away on Wednesday. Anderson was on the FAMU basketball staff last season, but was not slated to return this year.

Anderson came to the Rattler program from Jacksonville (Fla.) University last summer, where he had been the Dolphins’ Director of Basketball Operations since July of 2012.

He served as head coach at Gettysburg College from 1985 to 1989, before moving to Mount Saint Mary’s College as senior assistant head coach from 1989 to 2002, where he helped them reached the NCAA Tournament in 1995 and 1999, as well as the National Invitational Tournament in 1996.

A graduate of Franklin and Marshall College (1982), Anderson also served a stint in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), as the senior
associate head coach at Coppin (Md.) State University under legendary firebrand Ron “Fang” Mitchell, from 2002 to 2006.

He helped guide the Eagles to the 2003-04 MEAC regular season title and a berth in the 2004 MEAC Tournament finals against FAMU.

Prior to landing at Jacksonville, Anderson turned in a five-year run as an assistant coach at Binghamton University (2007-2012), helping lead them to the 2009 NCAA Tournament. He also worked one season as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (2006-07).

FAMU head coach Byron Samuels expressed his sorrow at the news of the passing. "Don was a super human being. A gentle giant in many ways. He did a phenomenal job helping to mentor our student-athletes this year. I will greatly miss him as a friend and our profession will miss him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Don's family," he said.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION