STEVE CARPENTER
Hutchinson CC Sports Information Director
After Wednesday, Phil Anderson becomes the answer to a Hutchinson Community College Athletic Department trivia question.
That question is: Who is the only Blue Dragon coach – head or assistant – to win national championships in two different sports?
Most recently, Anderson was on the bench when the 2024 Blue Dragon women’s basketball team captured its first national championship in program history. Anderson was also on Blue Dragon men’s basketball head coach Steve McClain’s staff when the Blue Dragons won the 1994 men’s national title.
Completing his 11th season on John Ontjes’ women’s basketball staff, Anderson has announced his retirement. His final day with the Blue Dragons will be Wednesday.
“I look back and it’s been such an honor being here,” Anderson said. “Working with the entire athletic staff, I feel lucky. But it’s time to make a change. I want to spend more time with my family and grandkids and that’s the major reason for the change.”
Since the start of the 1991-92 season, Anderson has been synonymous with basketball in the City of Hutchinson, whether it be with the Blue Dragons or at Hutchinson High School.
The 1991-92 season brought Anderson to Hutchinson Community College as a men’s assistant coach. In three seasons on McClain’s staff, Anderson helped the Blue Dragons produce a record of 91-16. The 1993-94 Blue Dragons went 35-4, won the Region 6 Tournament and went on to defeat Three Rivers 78-74 in the 1994 NJCAA Tournament championship game, the second men’s national title to that point in Blue Dragon history.
Anderson made the move across 13th Avenue in 1994 to take over The Hutchinson High boys basketball program. Success followed Anderson to Hutch High. In 12 seasons as the Salt Hawks’ head coach, Anderson rolled up a 172-93 overall record. His 2001 Salt Hawk team captured the Kansas Class 6A state championship. In 2002, Hutch High returned to the 6A title game, but finished the season as the state runner-up.
From 2007 to 2014, Anderson was the Hutchinson Middle School-8 head coach. After the 2014 season, Anderson got a call from Ontjes to join the Blue Dragon women’s basketball staff.
“I had just gotten finished coaching Coach Ontjes’ son Max in eighth grade. He had an opening on his staff and asked if I was interested. I jumped at the chance.”
What an 11-year run it’s been with Anderson and the Blue Dragons.
The Blue Dragons amassed 339 wins with nine trips to the NJCAA Tournament. Anderson’s first season with the Blue Dragon women went all the way to the NJCAA Tournament championship game in 2015.The Blue Dragons won seven Jayhawk Conference championships (2016, 2017, 2020/21, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025) and three Region VI Tournament titles (2017, 2022, 2024).
Then came 2024 …
The 2023-24 Blue Dragon women went 37-0 and captured the 2024 NJCAA Division I national championship with an 88-80 overtime victory over Northwest Florida State in the championship game on April 1, 2024 in Casper, Wyoming.
On the way to the national tournament, the Blue Dragons captured Jayhawk Conference and Region VI championships. Freshman guard Kiki Smith was named the conference, region and NJCAA National Player of the Year as well as the MVP of the national tournament. Including Smith, five Blue Dragon players earned all-KJCCC honors with Journey Armstead and Monae Duffy joining Smith in the first team. Hailey Jackson and Akaysha Muggeridge were second-team selections.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 11 years with Coach Anderson in our program,” Ontjes said. “He’s been a major part of my career. I’ve taken a lot from him when I worked for him. He’s so competitive and it’s so fun to battle and go into big games with him.”
For Anderson and Ontjes, their journey together has come full circle.
The first time Anderson’s and Ontjes’ paths crossed came in the Adolf Rupp Tournament in Halstead when Anderson was the head coach at Lyons High School and Ontjes was playing at Nickerson High School.
“We had the misfortune of playing Nickerson that night in the semifinals,” Anderson said. “It turned into a layup drill for Nickerson and Coach Ontjes was leading the way.”
Anderson continued to watch Ontjes’ career progress at Nickerson and as luck would have it, Ontjes came to Hutchinson to play for the Blue Dragons when Anderson was hired in 1991.
After Ontjes’ playing career, he joined Anderson’s coaching staff at Hutchinson High School. Ontjes then became the Salt Hawks’ women’s coach in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons before taking over the Blue Dragon program.
“I felt very lucky to be able to hire him at Hutchinson High School and have him on our staff,” Anderson said. “It’s been a great run and I feel very lucky to be part of it.
“To be on Coach Ontjes’ staff, his accomplishments have been incredible and historical. I feel very lucky to be a part of it.