Pictured is the poster of Austin Anderson as the Teacher of the Year as you walk in the front door of Powdersville High School. Anderson is beginning a new journey in life next year at Easley High School in teaching and as the varsity boys basketball coach for the Green Wave.
POWDERSVILLE — Walk into Powdersville High School and you quickly see a big picture hanging up on the wall of Austin Anderson. It says in big print … Teacher of the Year.
And a couple years ago, Anderson guided the Patriots to a Class 3A State Championship in varsity boys basketball.
“He (Anderson) won the first state championship here at Powdersville,” said PHS Athletic Director Robert Muster. “I thought he did an excellent job for us. Not only was he a great teacher for us, but he was also a great teacher for us. When you have a coach representing your school as the Teacher of the Year, that’s what you want. He’s getting it done on the court and off the court.”
Next up, Anderson will begin a new journey in life as the varsity boys basketball coach at Easley High School.
He’s looking forward to the opportunity, too.
“I’m very excited. Anxious,” said Anderson. “I feel the opportunities are given to you for a reason and I want to see what I can do with a new environment. I think the (basketball) program at Easley has a ceiling that really doesn’t have a ceiling. I believe they have enough athletes in that building – that’s 1,800 students with one of the biggest middle-schools feeding into it. You have the athletes and now it is just going into the execution part of it.”
Anderson said he’s ready for his summer camp to begin for grades 1-6, which will take place the last Thursday and Friday of June (25 and 26) at Easley High School.
“The fundamentals don’t change – they just get a little more rigorous and more tedious when it comes to the details,” he said. “I don’t change a lot of things. It just goes back to the details.”
Anderson said that he did hear the recent news about standout Miles Campbell deciding to stay and play hoops (and football) at Easley High School.
“I think that says a lot about him to stay,” Anderson said. “It’s up to him to make that decision, but I think it says something for those kids who decide to stay. That their home and their community. They believe in me and I believe in them as well, and I appreciate them staying – to put Easley back on the map. They (Easley) have not been to an Upper State Championship since 2010. So when I was doing my research, I saw that. You’ve got all the tools now (at EHS) — now it’s just doing it.”
Reach Jeff Holt at 864-855-0355.