By NATE ALLEN
Leader sportswriter
What many sources said Tuesday was a “done deal” became official Wednesday night.
Mike Anderson is the Arkansas Razorbacks’ new head basketball coach.
The former Arkansas assistant and head coach at Alabama-Birmingham and Missouri was announced as Arkansas’ coach in a press release Wednesday night and will be introduced to the public at Walton Arena at 10:30 a.m. today.
Anderson replaces Arkansas fourth-year coach John Pelphrey, who was fired March 13 after the Hogs missed the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year.
Anderson was Arkansas’ top candidate from the get-go. He received a hefty counter offer from Missouri to stay before accepting what is believed to be a seven-year contract at $2.2 million a year to come to Arkansas.
Anderson assisted Nolan Richardson at Arkansas from 1985-2002. In that stretch ,Arkansas won a national championship and was runner-up in three trips to the Final Four.
