Andersen a Utah gym gem

The word is tossed about loosely in sports these days, attached to anyone who flirts with athletic accomplishment over time.

But to many Utahns, LaDell "Andy" Andersen truly is a legend.

Andersen and football great Merlin Olsen are the most influential and recognizable figures in the history of Utah State University athletics.

Andersen will be enshrined into the State of Utah Basketball Hall of Fame at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Salt Lake Hilton.

Andersen's legacy stretches beyond Cache Valley. He was an assistant coach for Jack Gardner at Utah from 1956 to 1961; he coached the defunct American Basketball Association's Utah Stars from 1972 to 1974; he returned to be the Aggies' athletic director from 1973 to 1983; and he coached Brigham Young University's basketball program for six years.

The 70-year-old Andersen is now a consultant with the NBA's Utah Jazz.

Andersen lives, breathes and sleeps the game. And he was always a winner, putting together a 67-percent winning record.

At Utah, while assisting Gardner, the Utes compiled a 109-33 record. All five were winning seasons, and four of the five were 20-win seasons.

"Jack taught me a lot about being so detailed with my assignments," Andersen said. "He was a great friend of mine. He was a great competitor. Nothing, within the scope of basketball, went unnoticed by him."

At USU between 1961 and 1971, Andersen became — and still is — the Aggies' winningest basketball coach ever. His record of 176-95 (.650) included eight winning seasons and six 20-win campaigns, as well as five NCAA and one NIT postseason appearances. And in those days, only 25 teams qualified for the NCAA tournament, compared with 64 today.

"We went to five NCAAs and one NIT in my 10 years," Andersen said. "But it was also the saddest of times, especially when we lost Wayne Estes (in February 1965). It was such a shock to me, because of our relationship. It was a horrible thing. And he was not only a great player, but a better human being."

USU's Estes was a charter member last year of the State of Utah Basketball Hall of Fame. The two-time All-American was electrocuted the night he went over 2,000 points for his career.