Tag: Tobin Anderson

Report: After March Madness Cinderella run, Tobin Anderson exits FDU for Iona

Tobin Anderson heads to Iona after historic run.

On Tuesday, it was reported by college basketball insider Jon Rothstein that Farleigh Dickinson head coach Tobin Anderson would leave the program for the head coach opening at Iona. The job became vacant after Rick Pitino accepted the head coaching job at St. John’s.

Dickinson joined the FDU program last March and is now cashing in on his success in the NCAA Tournament as he leaves the program after one year on the job.

Per Rothstein on Twitter, “Tobin Anderson has informed FDU that he’s leaving for the Iona job.” Prior to joining FDU, Anderson was the head coach of Division II St. Thomas Aquinas in Sparkill, New York.

The Spartans finished last season with a 28-5 record and 17-1 in conference play. The Spartans won the ECC (East Coast Conference) title and their season ended in the Division II NCAA Tournament against Bentley in the East Regional, 82-75.

That game ended a 16-game winning streak for St. Thomas Aquinas College. Anderson led the FDU Knights to a 21-16 record and 10-6 in Northeast Conference play. The Knights fell to Merrimack in the NEC championship game but due to Warriors being ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, the Knights were given the opportunity to compete in the Field of 68.

After knocking off Texas Southern in the First Four, FDU would upset No. 1 Purdue in the Round of 64 before falling to Florida Atlantic, 78-70, for a chance to compete in the Sweet 16. FDU became the second men’s team ever to beat a No. 1 seed in the first round as a No. 16 seed joining UMBC, after their win over Virginia in 2018.

Now Anderson will look to bring the Gaels past the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1980 when they lost in the second round to Georgetown, 74-71.

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Tobin Anderson shared a quick, but sweet, hug with his son before celebrating FDU’s win over Purdue with his team

This is such a sweet and well-earned moment for the coach.

No matter what happens from here on out in the men’s NCAA tournament, Fairleigh Dickinson will always have the moment it beat Purdue and busted — quite literally — every single bracket.

The team’s head coach, Tobin Anderson, turned out to be the star of the show. He believed in his team from the very beginning — enough to call his own shot on their win before it even seemed possible.

That belief helped him put the players in the best positions to take down the Goliath that was Purdue and that’s exactly what FDU did. Good on them.

Of course, the team had their celebratory moment after the game. But before Anderson could join them in the locker room he had to share this quick embrace with his son, who was absolutely pumped for his dad and their team.

That’s such a sweet moment. And a well-earned one, too, considering what Anderson and the rest of the FDU crew just accomplished.

As a 16-seed, FDU has absolutely shocked the world. None of this was supposed to happen. The team isn’t supposed to be in this position. Yet, here we are.

No idea where things go from here, but FDU and Anderson will always have this. It’s great to see them enjoying it together with their loved ones.