2021 Murray State Hall of Fame Reveal – Coach Tevester Anderson
7/21/2021 8:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Hall of Fame
As assistant coach and head coach from 1995-03, Coach T was part of five OVC regular season championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances
Murray State Athletics is proud to introduce the class of 2021 of the MSU Hall of Fame.
Before the end of July, the eight members of the 2021 class will be released in alphabetical order.
The 39th class of the MSU Hall of Fame combined to produce some of the greatest moments in the history of athletics at Murray State University.
Check GoRacers.com and the social media channels of the Racers often as we reveal the 2021 class.
Our first inductee reveal is Coach Tevester Anderson, who led the Racer men's basketball program from 1998-03 and was the first African American head coach in MSU history.
Leading the Racers to 103 wins in five seasons, Anderson's 1998 team opened the Regional Special Events Center (Now the CFSB Center). His teams won a pair of Ohio Valley Conference regular season titles and two OVC Tournament championships which led to a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament. He was assistant coach to Mark Gottfried from 1995-98, where Anderson was part of another three OVC regular season titles and two more NCAA appearances. Anderson was an amazing recruiter and landed some of the biggest names to ever play at Murray State including De'Teri Mayes, Chad Townsend, Isaac Spencer, Aubrey Reese, Rod Murray, Justin Burdine, James
Singleton, Antoine Whelchel and Cuthbert Victor.
"I was blown away at the news," said Anderson when he got the call that he was going to me a hall of famer at Murray State. "When I came to Murray in 1995, it was the first time I had been at a school at the collegiate level where people were just crazy about basketball. When I was at Auburn and Georgia, neither place had won an SEC title before and we got that done there. However, football was bigger than basketball. The Folks at Murray State really appreciate basketball and being at Murray was a life changing experience for me. Being there for eight years was a wonderful part of my life. It's going to be amazing to go back there and see everyone. This honor is so special to me and my family and we are so appreciative and so thankful."
Anderson's career in coaching basketball started after he won 500 games on the high school level and taught biology in Canton, Mississippi and Atlanta from 1962-81. His college coaching career started in 1981 at Auburn when Coach Sonny Smith brought him in to recruit some talent and Anderson surely did by signing Charles Barkley and Chuck Person. Anderson worked for Coach Hugh Durham at Georgia from 1986-95 where he recruited Willie Anderson.
Hall of Fame Weekend at Murray State will be Nov. 12-13. The induction banquet will be held on the evening of Friday, Nov. 12 at the CFSB Center. Ticket information will be available later. The 2021 class will be honored at the Racer Football game at 1 p.m. vs Southeast Missouri (Nov. 13) and at a Racer basketball game that night.
Tevester Anderson Notes
The Murray State Hall of Fame was launched in 1965 with an inaugural class consisting of Harlan Brodie (Football, 1927-1930), Joe Fulks (Basketball, 1941-42), Marshall Gage (Track & Field, 1957-61) and John Powless (Tennis, 1955-57).
Murray State Basketball Tickets
MSU Athletics announced basketball season ticket renewals are now open through August 27 for the 2021-22 season. Fans can also inquire about basketball season tickets by contacting the CFSB Center ticket office at 270-809-3000. In-person purchases are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The advantages of becoming a basketball season ticket holder are many. New season ticket holders automatically become Racer Club members, with access to exclusive parking, annual gifts and Junior Racer Club membership. Additionally, becoming a football & basketball season ticket holder, and subsequent Racer Club membership, elevates individual account point totals and rankings within the Racer Club Priority Point System. The Racer Club Priority Point System is utilized to reward support of Racer Athletics and establish priority access to post-season tickets, special events, etc.
About Murray State Athletics
Located in Murray, Kentucky, the athletics department of Murray State University is a NCAA Division I member and plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Racers have 15 programs including men's teams for baseball, basketball, cross country, football and golf and women's teams for basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball, as well as a mixed gender rifle team. The Racers are a charter member of the Ohio Valley Conference and are currently one of just three original members from the conference's first season in 1948.
Before the end of July, the eight members of the 2021 class will be released in alphabetical order.
The 39th class of the MSU Hall of Fame combined to produce some of the greatest moments in the history of athletics at Murray State University.
Check GoRacers.com and the social media channels of the Racers often as we reveal the 2021 class.
Our first inductee reveal is Coach Tevester Anderson, who led the Racer men's basketball program from 1998-03 and was the first African American head coach in MSU history.
Leading the Racers to 103 wins in five seasons, Anderson's 1998 team opened the Regional Special Events Center (Now the CFSB Center). His teams won a pair of Ohio Valley Conference regular season titles and two OVC Tournament championships which led to a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament. He was assistant coach to Mark Gottfried from 1995-98, where Anderson was part of another three OVC regular season titles and two more NCAA appearances. Anderson was an amazing recruiter and landed some of the biggest names to ever play at Murray State including De'Teri Mayes, Chad Townsend, Isaac Spencer, Aubrey Reese, Rod Murray, Justin Burdine, James
Singleton, Antoine Whelchel and Cuthbert Victor."I was blown away at the news," said Anderson when he got the call that he was going to me a hall of famer at Murray State. "When I came to Murray in 1995, it was the first time I had been at a school at the collegiate level where people were just crazy about basketball. When I was at Auburn and Georgia, neither place had won an SEC title before and we got that done there. However, football was bigger than basketball. The Folks at Murray State really appreciate basketball and being at Murray was a life changing experience for me. Being there for eight years was a wonderful part of my life. It's going to be amazing to go back there and see everyone. This honor is so special to me and my family and we are so appreciative and so thankful."
Anderson's career in coaching basketball started after he won 500 games on the high school level and taught biology in Canton, Mississippi and Atlanta from 1962-81. His college coaching career started in 1981 at Auburn when Coach Sonny Smith brought him in to recruit some talent and Anderson surely did by signing Charles Barkley and Chuck Person. Anderson worked for Coach Hugh Durham at Georgia from 1986-95 where he recruited Willie Anderson.
Hall of Fame Weekend at Murray State will be Nov. 12-13. The induction banquet will be held on the evening of Friday, Nov. 12 at the CFSB Center. Ticket information will be available later. The 2021 class will be honored at the Racer Football game at 1 p.m. vs Southeast Missouri (Nov. 13) and at a Racer basketball game that night.
Tevester Anderson Notes
- Assisted Mark Gottfried from 1995-98 winning three OVC regular season titles with a pair of NCAA appearances.
- Became MSU head coach when introduced March 28, 1998 after Gottfried became head coach at Alabama.
- Racer head coach from 1998-03, Coach T's Murray State teams won 103 games in five seasons including two OVC titles and two trips to the Big Dance.
- Coached or recruited 11 players that won a combined 21 All-OVC awards and four OVC Player of the Year awards.
- Anderson Coached Isaac Spencer and De'Teri Mayes who became Murray State Hall of Fame selections in 2014 and 2019.
- Anderson led the Racers into the first game at the brand new Regional Special Events Center (Nov. 14, 1998) when the Racers defeated Southern Illinois 65-62.
- Coached at Jackson State (2003-13) and won two SWAC titles and took JSU to one NCAA appearance.
- Won more than 500 games as coach and a biology teacher from 1962-81 in Canton, Miss. And Atlanta High schools.
- Spent four seasons as assistant to Auburn coach Sonny Smith (1982-86).
- Spent nine seasons (1986-95) assisting coach Hugh Durham at Georgia.
- Anderson is the eighth men's basketball coach to be inducted into the MSU Hall. Following Carlisle Cutchin (1970), Harlan Hodges (1976), Cal Luther (1986), Rex Alexander (2000), Steve Newton (2010), Ron Greene (2016) and Billy Kennedy (2020).
The Murray State Hall of Fame was launched in 1965 with an inaugural class consisting of Harlan Brodie (Football, 1927-1930), Joe Fulks (Basketball, 1941-42), Marshall Gage (Track & Field, 1957-61) and John Powless (Tennis, 1955-57).
Murray State Basketball Tickets
MSU Athletics announced basketball season ticket renewals are now open through August 27 for the 2021-22 season. Fans can also inquire about basketball season tickets by contacting the CFSB Center ticket office at 270-809-3000. In-person purchases are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The advantages of becoming a basketball season ticket holder are many. New season ticket holders automatically become Racer Club members, with access to exclusive parking, annual gifts and Junior Racer Club membership. Additionally, becoming a football & basketball season ticket holder, and subsequent Racer Club membership, elevates individual account point totals and rankings within the Racer Club Priority Point System. The Racer Club Priority Point System is utilized to reward support of Racer Athletics and establish priority access to post-season tickets, special events, etc.
About Murray State Athletics
Located in Murray, Kentucky, the athletics department of Murray State University is a NCAA Division I member and plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Racers have 15 programs including men's teams for baseball, basketball, cross country, football and golf and women's teams for basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball, as well as a mixed gender rifle team. The Racers are a charter member of the Ohio Valley Conference and are currently one of just three original members from the conference's first season in 1948.
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