Jestin Anderson was hired as an assistant coach for the Western Illinois men's basketball program prior to the 2016-17 season.
During Anderson's first year coaching at WIU, the Leathernecks' season was highlighted by the team's impressive start to Summit League play and finishing seventh in the team standings, landing a spot in The Summit League Tournament. The Leathernecks kicked off league play 3-1 after upsetting preseason favorite Fort Wayne to open league play, 93-91. WIU made 18 3-pointers in the game to set a new program record (previously 15). The Leathernecks then lost at IUPUI before defeating both eventual tournament champions South Dakota State and Oral Roberts at home by scores of 82-74 and 86-71. For the fourth straight year Garret Covington was tabbed Second Team all-league. Covington also earned Player of the Week honors for his performace in WIU's start to Summit League play.
Prior to joining the Leatherneck family, Anderson was most recently an assistant at Quincy University three seasons.
At Quincy, Anderson was a part of every aspect of the program, including recruiting, scouting and player development while at Quincy. Prior to his time in Quincy, Anderson spent two seasons (2011-13) as an assistant coach at Pratt (Kan.) Community College and Lake Land College (Ill.) for three seasons (2008-11). In his final season at Lake Land, he helped the Lakers to a 20-13 record and a runner-up finish in NJCAA Region 24. It was the Lakers' first 20-win season in 10 years.
Anderson began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Quincy when the Hawks advanced to the NCAA Tournament in his first season on staff and were ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation. His playing career consisted of exactly 100 games played in a Quincy Hawks uniform from 2002-06, helping QU to NCAA Tournaments in his final two seasons. The Hawks won the GLVC West in his senior season.
The DeKalb, Ill. native graduated from Quincy in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in management and earned his Master's in Business Administration from QU in 2008.
