Arkansas fires Anderson after 8 seasons

Arkansas dismissed head coach Mike Anderson on Tuesday, the school announced. Associate head coach Melvin Watkins will handle team matters until a permanent head coach is named.

The 59-year-old leaves with the fourth-highest win total in Razorbacks history after amassing a 169-102 record and three trips to the NCAA Tournament in eight years. Arkansas finished at or above .500 in each season under Anderson.

The Razorbacks went 18-16 this season but just 8-10 in conference play, finishing on an 8-13 slide overall.

While Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek acknowledged the team's general success under Anderson, he added: " ... we have not sustained a consistent level of success against the most competitive teams in the nation to enable us to compete for SEC and NCAA championships on an annual basis."

The highlight of Anderson's tenure came during the 2014-15 campaign. Led by sophomore forward Bobby Portis, the Razorbacks posted a 27-9 record, finished second in the SEC, and advanced to the Round of 32 in March Madness.