Despite a year that saw unprecedented change in Maryland Athletics, Kevin Anderson has led the Terrapins on a path that has begun with unparalleled success.
In his first year on the job as director of athletics at the University of Maryland, Anderson hired Randy Edsall in football and Mark Turgeon in men's basketball, completing a pair of outstanding head-coaching searches that give the Terrapins a head start at success in those two sports.
While handling those high-profile changes, Maryland completed Anderson's first year in College Park by achieving a school-record 17th-place finish in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings. That finish was led by a NCAA national championship in field hockey and national runner-up finishes in men's and women's lacrosse.
In launching the Terrapins on their path to success, Anderson has instituted an inclusive management style that combines a passion for providing a quality experience for Maryland's 700-some student-athletes with a thoughtful business acumen that has him managing the Terrapins' $59 million budget and more than 180 employees.
His leadership skills are also prominent nationally, as he is currently the first vice president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and will move up to president of that organization next year.
Anderson was hired in September 2010 as athletics director at Maryland after serving since 2004 in the same post at the U.S. Military Academy. "Kevin has built a solid program of competitive and academic success at the U.S. Military Academy, supporting the student-athlete and demonstrating that academics and athletics can go hand in hand," President Dr. Wallace Loh said at the time of the hire. "I am convinced that his leadership will raise Maryland Athletics to even greater heights."
At Army, Anderson was responsible for a 25-sport program that served more than 900 cadet-athletes.While at Army, Anderson helped develop and manage a budget of $25 million and turned an operating deficit of more than a million dollars into a $2.73 million surplus in only five years. Sponsorship, ticket sales and fund-raising revenue all increased during his time there.
Anderson led a team that negotiated a five-year, $55 million deal with CBS to televise the Army-Navy game, and worked on the agreement that brought college football to Yankee Stadium, with the Army-Notre Dame game. During his time at West Point, Anderson also brokered broadcast deals for Army's football program with ESPN, WABC Radio and its current five-year agreement with CBS College Sports Network.
On the field, Anderson led a broad-based resurgence that saw 20 Army teams earn berths in NCAA Championships, including programs in 10 different sports. Army improved its standing in the 2009-10 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup by 11 places, marking its highest showing since the 2004-05 season and finishing ahead of both its service-academy rivals Navy and Air Force.
In his last two years at West Point, Anderson led searches that resulted in the hiring of Rich Ellerson as Army's football coach and Zach Spiker as the program's men's basketball coach. In his first season, Ellerson led the Black Knights to their winningest season since 1996 and came just one victory from a bowl berth, while Spiker posted the most wins by a first-year Army coach since Bob Knight led the Black Knights. Another Anderson hire, Michelle DePolo, was named the 2010 Patriot League Softball Coach of the Year in her first season. In all, four coaches hired during Anderson's tenure were honored with league coach of the year awards in 2009-10.
A number of facilities improvements were made during his tenure at Army. The Foley Athletic Center, Army's indoor practice facility was completed in 2007. That joined the construction of Randall Hall, which houses coaches' offices and locker rooms for Army's men's and women's basketball teams, as well as luxury suites overlooking Michie Stadium. Anderson oversaw the installation a new playing surface and a state-of-the-art high-definition video board in its football home. Anderson also spearheaded facility-improvement projects that included new practice fields, renovations for the baseball and softball complexes and an indoor practice facility for golf.
Anderson, who has more than two decades of leadership experience, has also been recognized nationally as a leader in intercollegiate athletics. In addition to his current service on the NACDA Board of Directors, he has served as chair for the NACDA's McClendon Minority Scholarship Steering Committee and serves as chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Issues Committee.
From January 2003 to December 2004, Anderson was the executive associate athletics director at Oregon State. In that role, he was responsible for the administration and operation of seven sports, including football, as well as men's and women's basketball.
Anderson spent five seasons at the University of California, Berkeley, advancing quickly in the Golden Bears' department. He moved from an assistant A.D. for annual giving to an associate A.D. for development and ticketing and ended his tenure there as the executive associate A.D. for external affairs. Before taking the position with California, Anderson served as executive director of the YMCA of the East Bay from 1995 to 1997. He was director of annual giving for athletics at Stanford University from 1993 to 1995.
He is a 1979 graduate of San Francisco State University with a bachelor's degree in political science. He has attended the Sports Management Institute's executive management program and is a product of the new manager school at Xerox.
Anderson and his wife, Moira, have four children - daughters, Olivia and Michaela, and sons, Kevin Jr. and Chauncey.