Jon Anderson ’75, who was inducted into the Babson Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013, is in his 39th season as the Beavers’ head men’s soccer coach in 2024.One of the longest tenured coaches in Division III, Anderson is 471-202-94 (.675) in 39 seasons at Babson. He ranks third among active coaches and 11th all-time in Division III in wins while leading the Beavers to 16 conference championships and 21 NCAA Tournament appearances. Anderson previously earned regional coach of the year honors in 1994, 2002 and 2011. The Beavers amassed a season record of 17-1-7 in 2024. The Green and White captured New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season and tournament championships going undefeated in conference play while outscoring opponents 28-1, before advancing to the NCAA Tournament “Elite Eight” for the first time since 1991. Babson, which finished one win shy of its single-season program record set back in 1991 and conceded its fewest goals since 1990, outscored opponents 46-10 on the year. The Beavers ranked first in Division III team goals against average (0.40), shutouts (17) and shutout percentage (0.68) and did not allow a goal in over 807 minutes to end the season. Under Anderson, his staff that was awarded United Soccer Coaches Region II Coaching Staff Of The Year while guiding two All-Americans, five Al- Region and eight NEWMAC Conference selections, ending the season ranked #5 in the nation.
Anderson helped the Green and White earn six consecutive NCAA Tournament bids from 1988-93. The Beavers advanced to the second round in both 1989 and 1990 before finishing 18-4-1 and reaching the national semifinals in 1991. His 1992 team went 15-1-2 and won the first of two straight CAC titles before being ousted on penalty kicks in the second round of the NCAA Championship.
Anderson guided the Beavers to NEWMAC Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in both 2002 and 2004, and going back to 2008 the Green and White has won six conference championships and participated in the NCAA Tournament nine times. Babson reached the sectional semifinals in 2010 and followed it up with a 20-game unbeaten streak in 2011 on the way to advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.
The Beavers won back-to-back NEWMAC titles in 2014 and 2015, made a third straight NCAA appearance in 2016 and went unbeaten in league play on the way to claiming both conference regular season and tournament titles in 2019. The Green and White bounced back from a COVID-19 cancelled 2020 season to capture NEWMAC Tournament championships in 2021 and 2022, earning the program's 18th and 19th NCAA Tournament appearance under Anderson, including a second-round appearance in 2021.
Anderson has earned 10 conference coach of the year awards and three regional coach honors, and his players have garnered 26 All-America, 86 NSCAA/United Soccer Coaches All-New England and 148 all-conference accolades. He also helped the Beavers go unbeaten in 40 straight matches against NEWMAC foes between 2008-13.
Anderson was a three-year starter for the Beavers, who went 56-5-4 and earned three NCAA Tournament berths between 1972-75, culminating with Babson’s first national championship in his senior year. The Beavers went 17-0-1 to record the only unbeaten season in program history, defeating Brockport, 1-0, in the 1975 Division III title game.
Anderson resides with his family in Scituate, Mass. Two of his four children, Eric ’13 and Emily ’13, played soccer at Babson. Eric graduated as the all-time leading scorer and only two-time first-team All-American in program history.