ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Antonio Anderson has been named the new coach of the Lynn English boys basketball team.
By STEVE KRAUSE
LYNN — Antonio Anderson played for some of the best coaches in high school and college.
Under Marvin Avery at Lynn Tech, his team won a Division 3 state championship. And under John Calipari at the University of Memphis, Anderson’s Tigers made the 2008 Division 1 men’s basketball national championship game before falling to Kansas in overtime.
Anderson will take advantage of all that tutelage next winter when he assumes the role as head boys basketball coach at Lynn English. The appointment by principal Thomas Strangie was announced Thursday by athletic director Dick Newton.
“I feel great about being appointed,” said Anderson, who was not involved in the academic scandal that caused the NCAA to vacate Memphis’ 2008 regional championship. “I would like to thank Mr. Strangie and Mr. Newton for the opportunity.”
Anderson continued with basketball after college and really hasn’t slowed down. In 2009, he signed a free-agent contract with the then-Charlotte Bobcats before joining the NBA’s Development League.
He signed two 10-day contracts with the Oklahoma City Thunder before returning to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League. He also signed a contract to play in Germany.
Since returning to Lynn, Anderson, who will turn 32 in June, has become active in the city’s youth basketball programs. He conducts a skills camp, along with English girls coach McKenzie Charles and Eastern Nazarene College assistant Jake Canty.
His brother, Anthony, was a star for English and helped lead the 2000 Bulldogs to the Division 1 North final. Anthony went onto play for UMass Amherst.
“We’re really happy that Antonio wanted the job,” said athletic director Dick Newton. “He’s a fantastic addition to the athletic program. His experiences as a player, his connection to the community … it seems like a very good fit for English.”
Anderson said it helps that he played for such good coaches along the way.
“I think it helps tremendously,” he said. “As a player, I played for great coaches, and with some great players who are now coaching, and with some players (such as New York Knick Derrick Rose) who are playing professionally.
“I learned a lot from all of them,” said Anderson. “I learned about dedication, discipline, and the importance of academics.
“I’m going to try my best to help these young men become men, and to understand the importance of academics as well as basketball.
“Mr. (Ron) Bennett (for whom he played in his freshman year) had a long career at English. Coach Avery was tough. He demanded a lot out of his players. He tried to get the best out of us, and he did.”
He said he especially enjoyed his championship season at Tech.
“There were some good guys on that team,” he said. “It helped a lot playing with a group of guys who could play like they could.
“We all helped each other,” he said. “We put the pieces together and made it work. Nobody was arrogant or had egos or anything.”
Anderson’s brother still plays basketball in Canada.
“He gave me a lot of inspiration,” Antonio Anderson said.
