Anderson retires from Suttons Bay hoops
Oct. 3—SUTTONS BAY — It's time Mrs. Anderson had a proper winter.
After all, it's been awhile.
Ron Anderson stepped down as boys basketball coach recently, ending an 18-year run with the school's hoops program, including the last 12 as varsity head coach.
"More time with the family is a big thing," said Anderson, 57. "My wife has given up 18 winters."
Anderson, who works in facilities maintenance for the Grand Traverse band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, won five district and one Northwest Conference championship in his time leading the Norsemen.
"I'm not big into overall record," Anderson said. "Where we start at and where end at is a lot bigger."
That mindset led the Norse to multiple big upsets in districts, including several times over heavily-favored and state-ranked Frankfort teams.
"The time has come," Anderson said. "I love coaching, but the body tells me otherwise. There's been injuries, but mostly from golf, not basketball."
Anderson coached junior varsity while his sons Jordan (a 2009 grad) and Dwaun (2011) played at Suttons Bay. His daughter Veronica graduated in 2015 and played volleyball and softball, including on the last Suttons Bay volleyball team to win a district title.
Former Suttons Bay athletic director Doug Periard recalls Anderson coming into his office the very day former Norse coach Todd Hursey stepped down to submit his application for the vacancy.
"He did a very nice job for us at a time when our school was shrinking," Periard said.
Suttons Bay saw its enrollment decline from 372 in 2001 to 166 by 2015.
Periard said Anderson worked well with students of all athletic levels.
"He knew how to get through to kids who were struggling one way or another," said Periard, whose son Hugh played for Anderson. "He'd help guide them, whatever path that may be."
Anderson also coached during a time in which Northport was incorporated in as a cooperative program to boost Suttons Bay's numbers.
Current first-year Suttons Bay athletic director Jamie Hawkins saw Anderson coach frequently while Hawkins coached softball at fellow Northwest Conference school Kingsley.
"Ron was always a good coach who focused on kids first," Hawkins said. "He helped them develop and become better kids. He's going to be missed by the community. He's a great example of what a player-focused coach should be like."
Hawkins said Suttons Bay has already had numerous applicants for the job.
The school aims to review those applications this week and start interviews next week in order to get a coaching staff in place well before the season officially starts with the first practice Nov. 13 and first games allowed starting Nov. 27.
Hawkins said only second-year girls basketball head coach Mariah Kalchik returns from the school's 2022-23 high school basketball coaching staff.
"It looks like we have a good number of qualified applicants," Hawkins said. "It's a year of transition in Suttons Bay, but we're looking forward to a quality winter."
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