Who is Tobin Anderson? Meet coach who led Fairleigh Dickinson to March Madness upset over Purdue

Fairleigh Dickinson busted brackets everywhere Friday night in one of the greatest March Madness upsets we've ever seen. 

The Knights became just the second No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed since the men's NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Their victim was Purdue, which has been bounced by double-digit seeds in three consecutive tournaments. 

That stat will put a lot of attention on Boilermakers coach Matt Painter, especially since this year's team – led by potential player of the year Zach Edey – seemed like it stood the best chance of ending the program's Final Four drought, which has now reached 43 years. 

But what about the coach who actually won the game? Here's what you need to know about FDU coach Tobin Anderson: 

What is Tobin Anderson's background?

Anderson, a 51-year-old Iowa native, is a basketball lifer who has been grinding for decades. He played college basketball at Wesleyan (in Connecticut), earning his Bachelor of Arts in American Studies in 1995. He received an MA in Sports Management from Florida State in 1996. He spent time as an assistant at Division III Clarkson and Division II LeMoyne before he was named the head coach of Clarkson in 1999. 

How has Tobin Anderson fared as a head coach?

Anderson spent five seasons at Clarkson (New York) before moving on to Hamilton (New York), where he spent seven seasons and won 118 games. 

In 2011, Anderson made the jump to Division I, joining the Sienna staff as an assistant. He spent two seasons there, before he returned to the Division II level as the head coach of St. Thomas Aquinas College (New York). Anderson spent nine seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas, going 209-62 and concluding his tenure with seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances. 

When did he join Fairleigh Dickinson?

Anderson is in his first season with Fairleigh Dickinson, officially hired on May 3, 2022. FDU posted a 17-14 record in the regular season, modest but a massive turnaround from last season's 4-22 campaign. The Knights advanced to the Northeast Conference tournament title game where they lost to Merrimack ... but they earned the NEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament anyway thanks to Merrimack still being ineligible for March Madness due to the NCAA's transition rules. 

Tobin Anderson called his shot

After the Knights' 84-61 First Four victory over fellow 16-seed Texas Southern, Anderson delivered a message to his team: he wasn't afraid of No. 1 Purdue. 

"The more I watch Purdue the more I think we can beat them," Anderson said. 

The Knights did just that Friday, posting a 63-58 victory. 

Anderson said his speech "got overblown" but that he and his team "has faith in what we do."