Mike Anderson hired to coach St. John's

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Mike Anderson gestures during the second half of the NCAA National Invitation Tournament, Saturday, March 23, 2019 at the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Ind. The Arkansas Razorbacks fell to the Indiana Hoosiers 63-60.
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Mike Anderson gestures during the second half of the NCAA National Invitation Tournament, Saturday, March 23, 2019 at the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Ind. The Arkansas Razorbacks fell to the Indiana Hoosiers 63-60.

— Less than one month after he was fired by Arkansas, Mike Anderson has another coaching job.

Anderson, who finished with a 169-102 record in eight seasons as coach of the Razorbacks, has accepted the head coaching position at St. John’s, a private Catholic university located in Queens, N.Y. Anderson will replace Chris Mullin, the former St. John's star who stepped down last week after four seasons with the program.

Anderson will be officially introduced during a noon, Central news conference Friday at Madison Square Garden.

"My family and I are extremely excited to join the St. John's University community," Anderson said in a statement announcing his hiring. "This basketball program is rooted with such great tradition and it has a history built by legendary coaches, so this is a humbling experience. I look forward to mentoring the young men who will represent St. John's proudly on the court, in the classroom and in our community."

St. John’s interviewed Anderson, Yale coach James Jones and NBA scout and former Georgia Tech and Siena coach Paul Hewitt on Thursday, according to the New York Post. Loyola coach Porter Moser reportedly turned down the job earlier this week.

Mullin was 59-73 with the Red Storm and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2019, losing to Arizona State in the First Four. St. John’s, a member of the Big East Conference, hasn't advanced past the Sweet 16 since 1999, and the Red Storm have been to the NCAA Tournament eight times since 1992.

Anderson, 59, has a career record of 369-200 with stops at Alabama-Birmingham, Missouri and Arkansas. Anderson led the Blazers to three NCAA Tournaments in four seasons and, in 2004, UAB upset No. 1 seed Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16.

He was hired at Missouri in 2007 and spent five seasons with the Tigers. He led Missouri to three NCAA Tournaments, including 2009 when the Tigers lost to Georgetown in the Elite Eight.

Arkansas never had a losing record under Anderson. His best season came in 2014-15 when the Razorbacks finished second to Kentucky in the SEC standings and won 27 games, its most in 20 years.

Arkansas won first-round NCAA Tournament games over Wofford in 2015 and Seton Hall in 2017, but was eliminated by North Carolina in the second round both years. The Razorbacks lost their first-round game against Butler in 2018.

"Coach Anderson is one of the most respected coaches in college basketball and there is no doubt in my mind that he is the perfect fit to lead our program," St. John's athletics director Mike Cragg said in a statement. "He has built programs and has sustained success throughout his career. We are confident that his extensive coaching experience, recruiting acumen and skill development program will elevate St. John's basketball to new heights. Coach Anderson has a relentless work ethic and he is focused on establishing a championship level program here in New York City."

Arkansas closed the 2018-19 season by losing eight of its final 12 games and finished with an 18-16 record. Anderson was dismissed on March 26, three days after the Razorbacks’ season-ending loss at Indiana in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament.

By taking the St. John's job, Anderson is likely to forfeit his $1 million per year buyout payment from Arkansas, although his contract details with the Red Storm are unknown. The Razorbacks were on the hook to pay Anderson just less than $3 million total through April 2022.

St. John's reportedly paid Mullin $2 million per year.

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