After working alongside Radford head coach Joe Raccuia at two different stops, Brian Anderson joined his coaching staff in July of 2007 and has played a key role in engineering the revitalization of the Highlander program.
Anderson’s duties at Radford include serving as the Highlanders’ pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, along with assisting in the day-to-day operations of the program, including practice, game-day preparation and scouting.
In his recruiting duties, Anderson has been the lead recruiter in helping the Highlanders land major contributors to the success of the program. Since his arrival with Raccuia in 2008, 12 recruits have earned all-conference honors, 10 recruits have ranked in school career top-10 statistical categories, and the 2012 senior class posted the most wins in a four-year stretch in program history with 115 - they engineered four straight winning seasons, a first in Radford program history.
One of the best recruiting and development success stories for Anderson was Eddie Butler, who came to Radford as a 35th round MLB Draft selection in 2009 and left three seasons later as the first player in Big South conference history to be drafted in the first round (46th overall).  Butler's velocity improved into the mid-upper 90s, along with his overall pitching abilities. Butler earned Big South Pitcher of the Year honors in 2012, a first for a Radford pitcher.
Along with Butler, Eric Evans and Mark Peterson continued their post-Radford careers to professional baseball - Evans went from the most single-season losses in program history to a 23rd round selection of the Rangers in 2008, and Peterson was a free agent signee of the Royals in 2012.Â
In addition to pro success, Anderson pitchers have also established records. Butler matched a school wins record in 2011, and set the program's ERA record in 2012. At the back end of games, Abram Williams became the school's all-time career and season saves leader - both Williams and Jason Patten (members of the first Raccuia/Anderson recruiting class) became the first teammates in Big South history to pile up better than 40 career saves and rank in the league's all-time top 10.
Anderson has developed the program’s pitching staff to feature a consistent rotation and reliable arms out of the bullpen, while having his pitchers work quickly and allow the defense to make plays behind them.
While Radford's pitching was highlighted by the work of Butler in 2012, Anderson's staff had other standouts. First-year pitcher Tyler Costello got his collegiate career off to a torrid start, winning seven of his first eight starts, including seven consecutive - he was one of three pitchers, nationally, to win seven or more in a row in 2012. Costello also had the nation's third-longest shutout streak in 2012, at 26 1/3 innings. Peterson was one of the Big South's best starters in conference games, posting a 3-2 record and 3.48 ERA. Anderson helped develop senior Jake Palese as Radford's most reliable midweek starting pitcher in years, and oversaw Patten's best career year out of the bullpen. Radford's team ERA was the second-lowest in program history at 4.37 - in conference games, it was the league's second-best at 3.28.
In 2011 on the way to a program-record 31 victories, the three weekend starting pitchers, Butler, Peterson and Bobby Bolling, became the first trio of starters in program history to post sub-4.25 ERAs, start 15 games each, work better than 85 innings each and strike out more than 55 batters each. The 2011 season also saw a breakout season from Abram Williams, a First Team All-Big South selection who completed the conversion from a starting pitcher in 2009, to one of the nation’s elite closers in 2011. Williams saved a program and Big South-record 17 games, more than half of the Highlanders’ victories. Overall in 2011, the Highlanders shattered the program record with 364 strikeouts and ranked fourth in the Big South in ERA.
As a result of Anderson’s work in 2010, Radford’s Friday-Saturday starting pitchers, Aerik Taylor and Butler, became just the second tandem of Highlander pitchers to work 85 or more innings in a season while making 14 or more starts. Both Taylor and Butler won six games. The 2010 staff exhibited control that ranked among the best nationally – Radford’s pitching staff was 38th in the nation in fewest walks per nine innings (3.15). Individually, Bolling topped the staff with 1.48 walks per nine innings, 23rd fewest in the land. Bolling, Williams and Brad Wimmer, three of Radford’s six most-used arms, each walked fewer than 14 batters in 2010.
Following up a 2008 where he pushed the Radford pitching staff to one of its top performances this decade, Anderson followed it up with more progress in 2009. The Highlander staff was highlighted by Taylor’s Second Team All-Big South honor in his first season as a full-time starter at the Division I level. Taylor led the Radford arms with seven quality starts; as a whole, the Highlanders produced 17 quality starts and the program’s fourth-best ERA since 2000. Anderson helped produce a pair of impact freshmen as well: left-handed starter Paul DeVito posted a 6-3 record and right-handed closer Jason Patten set a new single-season school record with nine saves.
Anderson’s first year at Radford was marked by the emergence of left-hander Eric Evans as the ace of the Highlander staff, earning Second Team All-Big South honors in 2008. In his senior season, Evans went 5-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 14 starts, and 3-1 record and 1.88 ERA in Big South starts. Post-Radford, Evans continued his success in the Rangers organization, going 3-2 with 36 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings between Rookie League and Class A in 2008.
Anderson spent the two years prior to arriving at Radford as a volunteer assistant at the University of Virginia. He worked directly with the Cavalier catchers and assisted with the day-to-day development of the hitters. In his time in Charlottesville, Virginia finished 19th in the nation in batting average (.322) while setting school records in hits, RBI and total bases.
Before moving to Virginia, Anderson served as Joe Raccuia’s assistant coach at Marist College. He helped Raccuia lead the Red Foxes to the 2005 MAAC title and a berth in the 2005 Baton Rouge Regional.
A native of Chesapeake, Va., Anderson got his coaching start at his alma mater, spending one year as a volunteer assistant at George Mason, coaching catchers and assisting in hitting instruction. He also coached first base for the Patriots.
A standout catcher at Mason, Anderson was a four-year starter that ranks in the Patriots’ all-time top-10 in eight statistical categories. Following graduation, Anderson inked a free-agent deal with the Expos organization, and played the 2002 season with the Vermont Expos of the New York-Penn League.
Anderson earned a degree in communications from George Mason in 2002. He is married to the former Colleen Bowles.
