Biography
Vince Anderson has coached 34 years at the NCAA Division 1 level and has extensive experience coaching World Championship and Olympic athletes since 1995. Anderson is a devoted coach of every aspect of sprints, hurdles, relays and speed development for football and other sports.
Most recently, Anderson trained Phyllis Francis, 2017 World Champion at 400 meters and World 4x400 gold medalist ('17, '19) and also trained Jessica Beard, 4x400 double gold medalist at the 2019 World Championships (4x400, mixed 4x400). Anderson coached for 15 years at Texas A&M, where he trained women sprinters and both men and women hurdlers, since 2005. During that span, the Aggies won 9 NCAA outdoor titles (5 men, 4 women) and one NCAA indoor title (Men, 2017).
Before coaching at Texas A&M University, Anderson coached 16 balanced years at the University of Tennessee. Starting at Tennessee in the summer of 1988, Anderson first coached women’s sprints and hurdles for 8 years through 1996, then followed with another 8 year stint as the men’s sprints, hurdles and jumps coach, through the 2004 season. The Vols won the NCAA outdoor title in 2001 and the NCAA indoor crown in 2002.
Anderson began coaching as a completely inexperienced volunteer for Coach Tom Tellez at the University of Houston from 1986 through 1988. During those three invaluable seasons at UH, Anderson was able to watch the daily training of several notable champions, through the 1988 Olympic Trials. The bio-mechanical principles learned from Coach Tellez formed a vital foundation which influences Anderson’s work to this day.
In addition to Coach Tellez’ tutelage, Anderson credits his ongoing development to a string of generous mentors, who share their hard-won wisdom with patient teaching. Anderson further cites the visual acuity gained from training great athletes for giving him an expanded sense of what is athletically possible. Anderson also credits 23 years' coaching experience in the Southeastern Conference as both developmentally essential and inspirational.
Coach Anderson is proud of his influence on the academic life of his students, which has led to an exceptional graduation and personal achievement rate. Anderson believes that education, curiosity and sport are essential qualities of worldly, high-achievers. On an individual athletic scale, Anderson has trained 32 NCAA champions, including every sprint, hurdle and relay event – a feat that took him 29 coaching years to do. Anderson is also proud to have been secondary coach to NCAA champions in the long jump and decathlon.
Vince was born and raised in Houston, Texas, in an era when track was a valued sport. He attended HISD schools through twelfth grade. He graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1979. Anderson started coaching in January, 1986 after practicing architecture for six years.
Anderson is proudly married to the former Charla Gilcrease -- a math/science teacher, yoga instructor and personal trainer. They have one son, Kohl, both a track and engineering alumnus of Texas A&M, currently studying Law at Texas. Anderson wishes to thank Charla and Kohl for their devoted love and support which make it possible to be a track coach and a family man. Anderson credits his father, a track-loving baseball man, for the improbable introduction of track into his consciousness at age 12, where it has remained to this day. Anderson credits his mother, an artist, for instilling his sense of art and design.