Lowndes adds William “Ashley” Anders and Anthony “Buck” Hanson to the Viking Football Coaching Staff.

Release:

Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Wes Taylor and Head Coach/Director of Football Operations Jamey DuBose, the Lowndes County Board of Education approved two additions to the Viking Coaching Staff.

Coach William “Ashley” Anders is the new Viking Defensive Coordinator.  Coach Anders most recently served as the special teams coordinator, co-defensive coordinator, and linebacker coach for Colquitt County for the 2020-21 seasons.  Prior to coaching at Colquitt, Coach Anders was the head coach for Tift County from 2013-2019. 

Before moving to Tifton as the Tift head coach, Anders coached at the collegiate level for 14 years.  He was a GA at Auburn (1999-2000), DC Holmes Community College (2001-02), DC Valdosta State University (2003-07), DC Georgia Southern (2008-09) and DC Murray State University (2010-12). 

Coach Anders is a graduate of Hampton High School in Hampton, Arkansas, the University of Arkansas Monticello (BS) and Auburn University (Masters).  He served as a teacher and coach at Star City High School in 1997-98 before moving to the college ranks. 

While serving as the defensive coordinator at Valdosta State, the Blazers won two Gulf South Championships, two South Region Championships and were a national runner-up.  In 2004 they won the Division II National Championship and Coach Anders was named the Division 2 National Defensive Coordinator of the Year.

Anders replaces former Viking Coach Mark Hurt who in January was named Head Coach at Pike High School in Alabama. 

The new Viking Offensive Line Coach is Anthony “Buck” Hanson.  Coach Hanson comes to Lowndes from Colquitt County where he served as offensive line/tight end coach and run game coordinator.  Before going to Colquitt in 2018, he served as the run game coordinator at Lee County in Leesburg. 

After graduating from Troy State University, Coach Hanson began his coaching career in Alabama as Head Coach of Crenshaw Christian Academy.  A graduate of Enterprise High School, he returned to his alma mater in 1988 where he served as head junior high coach, strength coordinator, offensive line coach, offensive coordinator, run game coordinator, and assistant head coach from 1988 – 2015.  In 2004 he was the interim head coach at Enterprise High School. 

Hanson played on the 1979 State Championship team at Enterprise High School and the 1984 National Championship team at Troy State University.  He was named a team captain at both schools.  The 2017 team he coached at Lee County won a state championship in Georgia.

Coach Hanson replaces Bryce Giddens who resigned in January.