The St. Thomas Aquinas College men's basketball team is in South Dakota, preparing for Wednesday's Elite Eight showdown against Northwest Missouri state. Though the distance is far, the connections are uncanny.
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Whether watching in person, or on video streams from locations scattered throughout the country, the Anderson family has become as much a part of St. Thomas Aquinas basketball as the Spartan logo. In fact, the passion for the sport is so evident in meeting any member of the clan that it would seem to be embedded in their DNA.
As the STAC basketball team prepares for the biggest week in program history, a trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota seems more than half a country away from Rockland County, yet both places are bound by the energetic coach - and his heritage.
Tobin Anderson was hardly a newcomer to the coaching fraternity when he nabbed the St. Thomas Aquinas position to start the 2013-14 season. He was a Head Coach at Clarkson and Hamilton - both Division III programs - and had served as an assistant at Division I Siena.
During his high school playing days, Tobin was a 1st Team All-State selection at Interstate 35 High School in Truro, Iowa. His coach during that period was none other than his father, Steve Anderson. That was part of a 25-year career at I-35, after which Steve continued his trade in nearby South Dakota.
For 10 years, the elder Anderson patrolled the sidelines for Douglas High School in Box Elder, South Dakota. The highlight of his successful run was the Patriots' trip to the state championships in 1996, held at the Sioux Falls Arena. For that special event, he was joined by a young man who was serving as a graduate student at the time - his son, Tobin.
"Yes, I've actually coached in Sioux Falls before," acknowledged the Spartans' skipper. "The team went on to win the State Championship, and I was on the bench for all three games as an assistant, so you could say my record is 3-0 in Sioux Falls," he quipped. The two have worked in tandem on the sidelines in the years since, time which Tobin clearly relishes.
That state title and his impressive tenure merited Steve Anderson's induction into the South Dakota Boys Basketball Hall of Fame. While his active coaching days are behind him, the family passion remains, as he is still an ardent follower of the game.
And no, his allegiance won't be torn, even watching his alma mater... Northwest Missouri State, STAC's opponent in Wednesday night's quarter-final.
"He follows the team and watches some of their games," noted Tobin. "He started giving me scouting tips when he heard we were playing them. It's crazy."
Crazy or not, fate may well be sending a message. And the Spartan Army - friends and family who have so steadfastly supported the team, both home and away - will surely make the trek, regardless of the location. The Anderson family will be among their ranks, front and center, as always.
"I'll have a lot of family and friends coming from Iowa, so it'll be good to be close to home," Coach Tobin beamed, as he hopes to continue a Sioux Falls winning streak that has lived in the family for over two decades.