Even better, who would believe that? I didn’t. However, once I was convinced, I wanted more. You do, too. You can trust me. You’re right. Anderson, 55, laughed at his own joke and said that he drove his 1987 Honda Accord hatchback 24 hour straight from Holly Springs in Mississippi to get there. It was actually a longer and more interesting journey, but it took us on a less traveled road to reach Cambridge, Massachusetts. Anderson’s father was a sixth grader and worked as a bricklayer for a living. Anderson’s mother was able to complete nine grades, and she worked as a nurse’s assistant and domestic worker before and after work. Anderson is the eldest of 14 siblings, and he has four brothers who died before Anderson was born. Anderson was never able to live with his father. He also had six children with other women. Anderson was raised primarily by his mother and the mother of his mother. They didn’t have much. Anderson stated that one of his older brothers quit school and went to work to buy an Olds 442 for himself. I thought that car was cool. I wanted to do the exact same thing. Go to work and get me an automobile. My mother said that I didn’t have to do that. Anderson says that his mother told him to keep going to school. “Education was the solution.” Anderson doesn’t think he would have followed her advice if it wasn’t for basketball. Anderson played every sport until the ninth grade. Anderson recalled hearing the basketballs bounce in the Noxubee High School gym while he was at baseball practice. Anderson stated, “I can remember thinking that I was out there playing shortstop and that all those guys in the gym are getting better.” I loved all sports. Basketball was my passion. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were not. He replied, “I did enough school to get by, so that I could play basketball.” “I fell in love with basketball,” Noxubee said. He won five games during his freshman season, seven as a sophomore, eleven as a junior, and 19 as a senior. Anderson was 5′ 8″ tall and played point guard when he graduated. He said, “Some people graduate magnacum laude or summacum laude.” “I graduated Thank You, Lawdy.” He then planned to go to work at the brick plant until he started playing pick-up basketball at East Mississippi Junior College in Scooba. Richard Mathis, the school’s basketball coach, was one of Mississippi’s most respected and offered Anderson a scholarship. Mathis went to Northeast Community College in Booneville, before Anderson arrived. Anderson, however, played two years at East Mississippi and grew six inches over that time. He then intended to continue his studies at Jackson State. He ended up working as a shoe salesman at Metrocenter, which paid his tuition at JSU for one year. Anderson stated that Jackson was a bit too fast for him at the time. He transferred to Rust College, Holly Springs. He returned to basketball and became serious about school. There he met his role models. There he met his wife. He found himself at Rust. David Beckley was his mentor and he has been the Rust president for 26 years. Beckley stated that he knew Larry as a committed student and a student leader. Anderson was hired by Rust as the director of student activities as well as as an assistant coach. He said, “Some people graduate magnacum laude or summacum laude.” “I graduated Thank You, Lawdy.” He enjoyed his job – and excelled – but decided that he wanted to be a basketball coach. So he began searching for jobs. He saw a job posting for MIT’s basketball coach position in 1995 after seven years of service at Rust. “Why not? He thought it was worth a shot and sent his resume. Not expecting to be contacted. He did hear back. He was invited to Mississippi for a two-day interview and was then offered the job. It was rejected at first. He said, “The salary wasn’t high enough.” “My wife was attending graduate classes at Ole Miss. We had two children by that time.” MIT called back a few days later. They offered to make Anderson an assistant professor of physical and basketball education, as well as a head basketball coach. Anderson accepted the job. He’s still there and still wins twenty-four years later. But winning didn’t happen overnight. Anderson was left a mess. His first team won four and lost 21. Anderson stated, “I had never lost so much in my entire life.” Anderson said, “It was so depressing that I almost returned to Mississippi. Dr. Beckley had requested that I return to Rust to serve as Dean of Students. His team was 3-22 in the following year, but Anderson says they were much better and moving in the right direction. MIT lost 7, and won 18 the third year. Since then, they have won an average of 21 games per season and only 25 in NCAA Division III. He was inducted into New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. In the past ten years, his teams have reached the NCAA Tournament eight times. They also reached the Final Four in 2012. It is remarkable to see his record when you consider that not everyone can get into MIT. “I loved all sports. Basketball was my passion.” Anderson stated that less than one percent of the world’s high school basketball players would be qualified to play in Anderson’s league. I recruit from all over the world. To get the best players, we have to reach all corners of the globe. Last season’s team featured Bradley Jomard (6’6″), an All American forward. He is an aerospace engineering major from Paris. Yes, he is a French rocket scientist. He is one of the three rocket scientists on this team. Another player was from Greece and another one from Mexico. Anderson has previously coached players from Singapore and Mexico, as well from all over Europe. They want to win, just like the Rust players. Anderson is determined to win the national championship. He still serves on Rust’s Board of Trustees and returns to Mississippi at least twice a year. Anderson has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts for more years than he ever lived elsewhere. Anderson and Dawn Colquitt, his former wife, have two college-educated children. Skyy Anderson is a Maryland college soccer All-American and works in Washington D.C. as a real-estate account executive. Son Paul Larry Anderson is currently in Los Angeles producing music. He played college basketball at UMass-Boston. Dawn Anderson is completing her doctorate at U-Mass-Boston. Larry Anderson is an avid runner and is learning to play guitar. Larry Anderson admits that he misses his home state. He says that Mississippi raised him and made him who he is. “But I love what I do and where I’m at the moment,” he says. He also loves the Xs, Os, and the history of basketball with Tim Floyd, a fellow Mississippian and former college and NBA coach. His teams play the same way as Floyd’s, he says. Anderson stated, “We play fast. We averaged 85 points per game this season.” But defense is a major component of this offense. Man-to-man, we guard very hard. It’s simple. It’s simple.