Idaho legend Anderson dies at 82
Wayne Anderson, a former player, coach, and assistant athletic director at Idaho and charter member of the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame, died Wednesday at the age of 82. We have more below on the Spokane native's passing.
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After graduating from Rogers High in 1949, Anderson played football and baseball at Idaho and was an assistant football and basketball coach before becoming head coach of the Vandals' baseball and basketball teams. He also served two stints as assistant athletic director.
He was a charter member of the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame and a scholarship endowment and football award at Idaho named after him.
Here are more details from Becky Paull of Idaho:
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Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame member Wayne D. Anderson died Wednesday. He was 82.
Anderson, a native of Spokane, Wash., where he was a 1949 graduate of Rogers High School, was a student-athlete, coach and athletics administrator at the University of Idaho. He played football and baseball for the Vandals before serving as an assistant coach in football and basketball, and ultimately taking on head coaching roles in basketball and baseball. Later in his career, he was an assistant athletic director.
Anderson, who is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ellie, earned his bachelor’s degree in Education from Idaho in 1953 and his master’s degree (also in Education) in 1956. He and Ellie had four children – Vickie Foiles (Les), Kathy Lauda (Rick), David Anderson (Susan), and Patti Flick (Toby). He also is survived by his 10 grandchildren – Patrick Foiles (Erin), Nick Foiles, Katelyn Foiles, Ali Malvini (Caleb), Andrew Lauda, Annie Lauda, Adam Lauda, Daniel Flick, Rebecca Flick and Jacob Flick, and three great grandchildren – Emma Foiles, Kiyah Malvini and Daxton Malvini. Together, the Andersons represent three generations of University of Idaho graduates.
His days as a student-athlete included triple duty in football as a quarterback, defensive lineman and punter, in addition to baseball. More than 60 years later, he still is ranked 16th on the Vandals’ all-time passing yardage list in football and is seventh on Idaho’s all-time total career punts list.
Anderson was honored as the Big Sky Conference Basketball Coach of the Year for the 1967-68 season and as the Big Sky Conference Baseball Coach of the Year in 1965 and 1966. Along the way, he coached some of the game’s biggest names – a list that includes Bill Stoneman and Frank Reberger. His baseball teams won two successive Big Sky titles (1965 and 1966).
He left coaching in 1970 for an assistant athletic director’s position, where he served for four years before spending the next eight years in the private sector. He returned to the Vandals in 1983 and was an assistant athletic director until he retired in 1994.
The Wayne D. Anderson Athletic Scholarship Endowment was established in 1993 to honor Anderson and in 1995 the football program established the Wayne Anderson Coaches Award, which is given annually to the player who best exemplifies what it means to be a Vandal.
He was a charter member of the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted in 2007 for his contributions and achievements as a student-athlete, coach and administrator. He was honored again in 2012 when the 1966 baseball team was inducted.
Memorial service information will be announced as it is available.