Anderson Recipient of Jan Strickland Award presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf

NORMAN, Okla. – Jim Anderson of Texas A&M has been named recipient of the 2012 Jan Strickland Award presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf as selected by the GCAA. The Strickland Award is presented to the NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA or NJCAA assistant coach that, among other things, has excelled in working with their student-athletes both on the course and in the classroom.

"It’s humbling just to be selected as a semifinalist and finalist because there are a lot of great candidates for this award and I consider it a great honor to receive the Strickland Award,” said Anderson. “I’d like to thank J.T. Higgins because he has taught me a lot about college golf. I also played for J.T. in college and he’s someone that I’ve looked up to as a great example.”

In his third season as assistant men’s golf coach at Texas A&M, Jim Anderson has been instrumental in the program’s continued rise to become one of the elite in the collegiate game. In Anderson’s two years in College Station, the Aggies have posted back-to-back top-5 finishes in the final national rankings and six players have earned All-America accolades. Academically, the golf team had the highest GPA of any men’s sport at Texas A&M in 2011 while seven players earned awards for academic distinction. He also serves as director of the Aggie Golf Association - the Texas A&M men’s golf booster club - and is director of the Aggie Golf School. Anderson also serves annually as the tournament director of the Aggie Invitational and was tournament director for the 2010 NCAA Regional Championship at Traditions Golf Club. Anderson, who came to A&M after two years as an assistant at New Mexico, was a semifinalist for the Strickland Award in 2009 after the Lobos finished sixth at the NCAA West Regional.

A native of Sioux Falls, S.D., Anderson was a four-year letter-winner at New Mexico from 2001-04. He was recruited by current Texas A&M Head Coach J.T. Higgins and played for him for two seasons before Higgins became A&M’s head coach in 2001. Anderson played in 38 rounds in his career, posting a 75.45 average. His best outing was a tie for second at the 2001 Border Olympics, where he carded a 5-under total of 211.

“TaylorMade-adidas Golf is proud and honored to be associated with the Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year Award and even prouder to know that a coach like Jim Anderson is this year’s recipient,” said Jason Werner, TaylorMade-adidas Golf tour representative, player development. “Jim embodies everything that the award stands for and has many bright days ahead of him. Our congratulations go out to Jim and the Texas A&M golf program!”

The Strickland Award recipient will have the opportunity to further his professional development by receiving an invitation to the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Kingdom in Carlsbad, Calif.

TaylorMade-adidas Golf has sponsored the Strickland Award since its inception in 2003.