Butte’s Mike Anderson inducted into Montana Officials Association Hall of Fame

One of the longest-serving and most respected officials in Montana sports history was honored before Saturday's Butte High/Butte Central boys city championship basketball game at the Butte Civic Center, surrounded by colleagues, friends and family.  Butte's Mike Anderson received a standing ovation from an enthusiastic and receptive Butte crowd as he received a plaque commemorating his recent induction into the Montana Officials Hall of Fame.

Mike graduated from Butte High school in 1972 and then from the University of Montana in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in education and soon after receiving his master's in education.  He began his 44-year high school basketball officiating career in 1977 as a member of the Montana Officials Association.  During that time, he worked 21 state tournaments as well as 16 divisional/district tournaments.  Mike was also an official for 38 seasons in the NAIA's Frontier Conference and 15 years in the NCAA's Big Sky Conference.  Highlighting his collegiate officiating career was officiating 5 NAIA postseason tournaments and 5 NAIA national tournaments.

Mike Anderson was an outstanding coach as well winning a state championship in 1981 as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach for Jon McElroy's Butte High Bulldogs.  He would serve in the same capacity for his beloved Bulldogs under coaches Rick Carriger and Greg Salo.  On the diamond, Mike was a nine-year head coach for Butte's AA American Legion baseball team, taking the Miners to the state tournament three of those years.

Mike's true pride comes from his family as he and his wife, Michele, are the proud parents of Beau, Colt (Keelie), Luke and Brianna (Cole Dallasera) and seven beautiful grandchildren.