Bill Anderson (Australian coach)

{{Short description|Australian cricket and rugby league coach (born 1948)}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

| name = Bill Anderson

| image =

| fullname = William Charles Anderson

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|04|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Glebe, NSW, Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| coachteamA = NSW City

| coachyearAstart = 1988

| coachyearAend =

| coachgamesA = 1

| coachwinsA = 1

| coachdrawsA = 0

| coachlossesA = 0

| coachteam1 = South Sydney

| coachyear1start = 1980

| coachyear1end = 82

| coachgames1 = 71

| coachwins1 = 34

| coachdraws1 = 3

| coachlosses1 = 34

| coachteam2 = Balmain

| coachyear2start = 1987

| coachyear2end =

| coachgames2 = 25

| coachwins2 = 14

| coachdraws2 = 1

| coachlosses2 = 10

}}

William Charles Anderson (born 10 April 1948) is an Australian former cricket and rugby league coach.{{cite news |title=NSW Sports Award honour |url=https://www.theleader.com.au/story/8258996/nsw-sports-award-honour/ |work=St George & Sutherland Shire Leader |date=24 July 2023 |language=en-AU}}

Born and raised in the Sydney suburb of Glebe, Anderson's main sporting pedigree was in cricket and while attending Fort Street High School he captained the NSW Combined High Schools XI. He played in Sydney 1st grade cricket for Petersham-Marrickville, scoring four centuries. His 648 runs in 1974/75 contributed to the club winning the premiership and he finished only behind Bob Simpson in the competition's player of the season award.{{cite web |title=Bill Anderson PSM |url=https://stumptostump.com/randwickpetershamcricketclub-o__ZT5H/billandersonpsm-s__fdM5 |website=stumptostump.com |date=28 April 2022}}

Anderson served his rugby league coaching apprenticeship under Jack Gibson, first at Eastern Suburbs and then South Sydney, before succeeding his mentor as Rabbitohs head coach in 1980. He guided South Sydney to the finals during his maiden season and remained in charge for two further campaigns, then served as an assistant with the Bob Simpson-coached NSW cricket team, which he helped win a Sheffield Shield title before becoming head coach for a season in 1986–87.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118129695 |title=Anderson to coach NSW |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=4 July 1986 |page=4 (Sport) |via=National Library of Australia}} Returning to rugby league in 1987, Anderson coached Balmain to a fifth-place finish, after they were eliminated from the finals by his former club South Sydney. He was replaced at Balmain by Warren Ryan in 1988 and coached NSW City that year to a win over NSW Country.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111972780 |title=Brilliant Canberra connection Daley and Ferguson fails to stop City might |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=12 May 1988 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In addition to coaching, Anderson was also involved in radio and television commentary during the 1980s and 1990s, including a period with Network 10. He was an educator and in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours list was awarded a Public Service Medal for his "public service to education in New South Wales". One of his coaching proteges in grade cricket was Usman Khawaja and he ended up working as the Test batsman's manager.{{cite news |title=Khawaja mentor tips Test success |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-01-01/khawaja-mentor-tips-test-success/1891424 |work=ABC News |date=1 January 2011 |language=en-AU}}