APPLETON, Wis. -- Jason Anderson is the new baseball coach at Lawrence University, Provost Dave Burrows announced Friday.

Anderson comes to Lawrence from Grinnell College and also will serve as an assistant football coach. Anderson will coach the defensive backs, Lawrence head football coach Chris Howard said.

"I am very excited to be a part of the great athletic department at Lawrence University," Anderson said. "I care deeply about the ongoing success of both the baseball and football programs but look forward to the challenge of leading Vikings baseball to national recognition. I truly appreciate the opportunity that Lawrence University has given me to be the next head baseball and assistant football coach."

A native of Grinnell, Iowa, Anderson is a 2001 graduate of Grinnell, where he earned a bachelor's degree in American Studies. He also received a master's degree in sports coaching in 2006 from the United States Sports Academy.

In announcing his appointment, Provost Burrows said, "We are very excited to have Jason serve as our new baseball coach and assistant football coach. His enthusiasm and dedication will help our programs immensely."

A three-sport standout for the Pioneers, Anderson was an All-Midwest Conference cornerback on Grinnell's 1998 conference championship football team. He served as team captain of Grinnell's 2001 MWC championship basketball team, which also captured the MWC Tournament title and played in the NCAA Division III Tournament. An outfielder on the baseball team, Anderson belted a game-winning grand slam to give Grinnell the 2000 MWC South Division championship.

Anderson has worked on the baseball and football coaching staffs at Grinnell since 2004. He served as the hitting coach and coordinated the defense for the baseball team, and the results were record-setting for the Pioneers. Grinnell set school records for fielding percentage, double plays, assists, and putouts during the past three seasons. On the football side, Anderson has coached both wide receivers and defensive backs. He was the special teams coordinator for the past two seasons and also served as defensive coordinator last season.

Lawrence returns 18 letterwinners from its 2008 baseball team, which finished with an 11-18 record and took third place in the North Division under interim head coach Mike Barthelmess.