Tobin Anderson was emotional after his team’s historic victory in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Fairleigh Dickinson delivered an upset by defeating No. 1 Purdue in the first round of the tournament.
Anderson’s team became the second No. 16 team to defeat a No. 1 team in the basketball tournament. As expected, the 51-year-old coach was very emotional after the match.
The Knights coach mentioned his late father after the win. Tobin’s father was also a coach and deserves a lot of credit for all the success his son has achieved in his impressive career.
•
Tobin Anderson’s father was also a coach.
The head coach of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights grew up in Iowa and played basketball for his father, Steve Anderson, who was coaching at the time. Tobin credits his father with fostering his interest in basketball and showing him how to be a good coach.
Tobin’s father has passed away, but his son continues the family tradition of training success. Anderson became the Knights’ head coach in 2022, but he’s already achieved historic success.
Led by Tobin Anderson, the Knights defeated the Purdue Boilermakers, who were among the favorites to win the tournament. When the final buzzer sounded, the Knights were up by five points, 63-58.
You may be interested in reading: How did Fairleigh Dickinson get to NCAA March Madness without winning her conference tournament?
When asked about his father, this is what the Knights coach had to say:
Do not make me cry. I wish you were here, I wish you could see what’s going on here. Most of your life, Division II, Division III, you’re in front of 100 people, family and friends. We’re in front of 20,000 people here, in front of the whole world, we just beat Purdue.”
Tobin said that his late father was a better trainer than he was. However, he also praised his team and said his players made the historic upset much easier.
What’s next for Fairleigh Dickinson in the NCAA Tournament?
He Fairleigh Dickinson Knights they weren’t even supposed to be in the NCAA Tournament. Merrimack College won the conference tournament, but since it is still in the process of reclassification from Division II to Division I, it was ineligible for March Madness.
The Knights entered the tournament and beat Texas Southern in the First Four game, advancing to the first round.
You may be interested in reading: NCAA results roundup: History made as Purdue stunned as Gonzaga, Marquette and Kentucky progressed easily
After their historic first-round upset, Tobin Anderson and the Knights will play the No. 9 Florida Atlantic University. The Owls defeated No. 8 Memphis in the first round, 66-65.
