In recent days, online reports have said that the U of A, perhaps leery of having Nolan Richardson hanging around the program, wasn't that serious about Mike Anderson or that Mike, perhaps still stinging from the lack of interest the administration showed him in 2002, wasn't particularly interested in returning to Fayetteville.
Now, says Dudley Dawson of Hawgs Illustrated, the two parties actually might be quite interested in each other. Per the scribe's Twitter feed:
"For the first time in a long time, I believe that there is "legitimate" interest on both sides of the equation Mike Anderson = Arkansas"
I haven't seen polls on the matter, but I would have to guess that Anderson is the clear favorite of the Arkansas fanbase. Of all the rumored candidates, he's probably the only one that would instantly galvanize the fans and immediately punch up those sagging attendance numbers.
I haven't seen polls on the matter, but I would have to guess that Anderson is the clear favorite of the Arkansas fanbase. Of all the rumored candidates, he's probably the only one that would instantly galvanize the fans and immediately punch up those sagging attendance numbers.
At the same time, I have to worry that the expectations surrounding an Anderson return to Fayetteville would be seriously out of whack. Mike's style of play is exciting, and he would almost certainly be an improvement over the previous two head coaches. But don't assume that his hiring would mean a certain return to the glory days of the late 1980s and 1990s.
Let's be at least somewhat sober-minded about this: in Anderson's five seasons at Missouri, the Tigers have posted two winning records in conference play, and they've finished higher than fifth in the Big 12 just once. In his nine years as a Division I head coach, Anderson's teams have lost less than 10 games in only two seasons.
I don't point this out to rag on the guy: His record is far from sorry, and he's clearly forgotten more about basketball than I could ever dream of knowing (although I doubt his knowledge of great mustaches in Hog hoops history is as extensive as mine). I'm just not convinced that he's the savior that some are making him out to be.