Chris Anderson, the founder of Woodland Football and Head Coach from 2001 to 2007, returned to his Head Coach position for the 2015 season for his second stint as the head coach. The stint was cut short, however, as he resigned after one season. In past seasons, Anderson has done the job well as Head Coach.  He led the team to two NVL championships and two Class SS state championships.  He won twenty-two straight games and has a 56-23 record in seven varsity seasons.

Anderson has now decided to leave the Woodland coaching program but will leave a legacy. From 2001 to now, he amassed a record of which other NVL and state coaches are envious.  He took a fledgling program 15 years ago and turned them into a back-to-back state championship team in only five years.  

But that fire and dedication has taken its toll on him.  A decade older, the fiery coach knows that the requisite time and energy needed to be a powerhouse program has contributed to his decision to leave coaching.

“When you’re younger you certainly have a lot more energy,” said Anderson, “ and as time goes by, and life changes, your priorities change and things become different.”

He has given his heart and soul to the program, but he also believes that Woodland has given so much to him as well. He had always known he wanted to be a coach and an educator, but was surprised by the impact Woodland would leave on him.

“Woodland has given me the ability to believe in something without seeing any evidence of it,”  believes Anderson. “We started a program from scratch and there was no evidence that we could ever beat such great teams, like Ansonia, and be a successful program for many years to come.”

So, where will he be coaching next?  He has decided to stop coaching on the high school and college level, but move into coaching youth. He is willing to coach his twelve-year-old son in any sport, not just football, so he is waiting to see where that will take him.

Anderson adheres to a simple philosophy to which he owes much of his successes.

Anderson says, “Love your team, work to win, and be the best you can.”