Bernie Anderson

Head Coach, Football
E-mail: berander@nmu.edu
Telephone: 906-227-2039
At NMU Since 2006

Bernie Anderson enters his third season at Northern Michigan University. In his first two seasons at the helm the Wildcats have improved each year. He led the ’Cats to a 3-7 record in his inaugural campaign in 2006 and a 5-5 slate in 2007. Anderson picked up his 100th collegiate victory in 2007 with a 27-23 win over Gannon.

He comes to NMU from Michigan Technological University where he had been the head coach of the MTU football program for 19 years (1987-05). He is MTU’s all-time winningest gridiron mentor with 93 wins (93-96). Anderson led the Huskies to their first-ever NCAA playoff tournament in 2004, and his 1999 and 2004 squads both completed the season rated among the Top 10 teams in NCAA Division II rankings.

“I was very happy during my tenure at Michigan Tech, but rebuilding the NMU program holds a special appeal for me as an alum and as a native of [nearby] Ishpeming,” said Anderson. “Michigan Tech was great to me, but the NMU position was one of few that would motivate me to leave Tech.”

“Bernie stayed in touch with the NMU program. He is an experienced, successful, and well-respected coach. He also understands NMU’s strong football tradition, and he is someone we believe can lead us back to the level of play we are committed to as an institution,” said Ken Godfrey, NMU athletic director.  

As a prep player, Anderson was a standout in football, track and wrestling at Ishpeming High School. In wrestling, he was a three-time Upper Peninsula champion who compiled a 78-5-1 record. He was also a two-time all-conference football player.

As an NMU collegian, Anderson earned NCAA All-America honors as a Wildcat wrestler in the 132-pound weight division in 1976. He was 72-30-2 during his four-year career. He graduated from Northern in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. In 1984, he completed a master’s degree at NMU.

Following his undergraduate years, Anderson began a teaching career at his prep alma mater where he served as defensive coordinator for a football program that went 11-1 and won the 1979 Michigan State High School Championship. He was then head coach at Three Lakes, (Wis.) High School where he posted a 25-8 mark. His 1982 squad went 13-1 and was the Wisconsin State High School playoff runner-up. Anderson began his collegiate coaching career in 1983 as an assistant at Western Michigan University. In 1984, he joined the MTU staff in the same capacity. Three years later, he was named the Huskies’ head coach.

Anderson and wife, Vikki, have five children: Brook Spindler (husband Brad), Brad, Vanessa, Benjamin and Bailey. Vikki attended and played basketball at NMU. Brad was a member of the NMU football team as a running back from 2005-07.

Quick Facts

Birth Place: Ishpeming, Mich.

Birth Date: August 5, 1955

Alma Mater: NMU, 1978

Overall Record: 101-108-0/21 years

NMU Record: 8-12-0/2 years

Coaching

Western Michigan - Asst. Coach 1983

Michigan Tech - Asst. Coach 1984-87

Michigan Tech - Head Coach 1987-05

NMU - Head Coach 2006-present