Anthony Beane arrives on head coach Brad Soderberg's staff after a two-year run at Illinois State. His responsibilities with the Billikens will be similar to those he had with the Redbirds where he was the underclassman recruiting coordinator, handled on-floor coaching and video scouting of opponents. "With Anthony, we have a guy whose tentacles reach throughout the state of Missouri," Soderberg said. "I respect workers, and Anthony puts in the time and the effort. He handles himself well. He'll be great in recruits' living rooms and kitchens. His work ethic and personal skills are exactly what we need." "Saint Louis was especially appealing to my wife and me, because we both grew up in that region," Beane said. "Coach Soderberg is first class, and we will be successful under his leadership. I'll be comfortable recruiting St. Louis, because I've done it for quite some time and have developed a good rapport with the area high school coaches." The Bernie, Mo., native's track record of success began with a playing career that includes a trip to a high school state tournament, a national junior college championship, a prolific Division I career and a stint in the professional ranks. As a coach, Beane has experienced the junior college and major college level. Like his days in uniform, he has never strayed far from success. Beane went to Illinois State after breaking into the Division I coaching ranks with a three-year stint at Southeast Missouri State. In his second year with the Indians, Beane helped assemble a recruiting class that was rated No. 1 in the Ohio Valley Conference by Dick Vitale's Magazine. The team went 20-9. In the following season, SEMO's recruiting class was rated No. 30 in the nation by Basketball Times and the Indians notched a record with of 24-6 with an OVC championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Beane's coaching start came in the junior college ranks. He spent the 1996 season as an assistant coach at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kan., before moving to West Plains in Springfield, Mo., for the following campaign. He then joined the Southeast Missouri State staff in August of 1997. The Allen County team he worked with went 20-8 and finished second in the Jayhawk Conference's Eastern Division. The West Plains club he assisted went 25-3 and finished second in Region 16. Four future Division I players competed under Beane on the junior college level. Along the way, Beane has proved himself as a recruiter, a motivator and an excellent communicator. Beane has long been an attractive candidate for coaching positions following a star-studded playing career that included a brief professional tour in Europe. An All-American at Three Rivers, he led that team to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national championship in 1991. From Three Rivers, he went to Kansas State, where he played for current Creighton coach Dana Altman and made an immediate impact. He was named the 1992 Big Eight Conference Newcomer of the Year and was twice named to the All-Conference team. Sports Illustrated tabbed Beane its Clutch Player of the Year. Beane graduated from Kansas State in 1994 with a degree in social sciences. He and his wife, Katina, are the parents of two boys, Anthony, Jr., and Darius. |
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