Mike Anderson and Arkansas basketball finally consummated their long-term emotional affair Wednesday night, and it turns out that the cost of converting Anderson from a permanent Missouri Tiger seeking to retire in Columbia to a return-tripper to Fayetteville and the Razorbacks was $200,000 a year over seven years. Anderson spent 17 years with Arkansas as an assistant coach under Nolan Richardson, his mentor, and will return there after nine years in the wilderness as their head coach under the terms of a seven year contract worth $15.4 million.
After news of Anderson's dalliance with Arkansas broke following the Tigers' exit from the NCAA Tournament the University of Missouri reportedly made an offer that would have amounted to a seven year contract worth $14 million, a substantial raise over his existing contract. But according to the Post-Dispatch Anderson formally asked to consider other offers only Tuesday afternoon, after the question marks had begun bouncing around Anderson like a Matthew Lesko suit.
Anderson, Missouri's coach since 2006, took them to the Elite Eight and won the Big 12 Conference Tournament in 2009. His career record with the Tigers stands at 111-57.