William Anti named head coach of Alaska Nanooks rifle
August 11, 2020
William Anti has been named the new head coach for the Alaska Nanooks rifle program. Anti’s first official day with the Nooks was Aug. 3.
“We are honored to have a person with Will’s pedigree, background and successes as an outstanding student-athlete and coach,” said Keith Champagne, vice chancellor for student affairs and athletics. “He has the ability, skills and talents to bring another NCAA Division I rifle national championship trophy to UAF within the next three to five years. He is an outstanding coach and hire for the Alaska Nanooks athletics department.”
Anti fills the position of rifle head coach following Layne Lewis’ resignation in May. Graduate assistant coach Randi Loudin will resume her position for the upcoming 2020-2021 season.
“I want to thank Terlynn Olds and Dr. Champagne for entrusting me with one of the most historic and successful teams of all time in NCAA rifle,” Anti said. “It is a great honor to lead a program that has produces many of the most elite shooters of the last few decades. I’m excited to start working with this extremely talented group of athletes and I am very optimistic about the future of Nanook rifle.”
Anti joins the Nanooks after a one-year stint as the head coach and manager of the Paralympic program with USA Shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Anti was responsible for managing and coaching the USA Shooting Paralympic program.
While Anti was with USA Shooting, his duties included coaching technical aspects of Paralympic shooting in rifle and pistol, as well as physical and mental training, and creating a high-performance strategic plan. In addition, Anti oversaw all evaluating, recruiting and developing athletics for domestic and international Paralympic competitions.
“UAF offers the most unique experience in NCAA rifle, and I am excited about highlighting the tremendous opportunities and resources we have, as we look to attract some of the top-ranked recruits over the next year and beyond,” Anti said.
Prior to kicking off his coaching career in 2019, Anti boasts a decorated career as a rifle athlete. A four-year member of the West Virginia University Mountaineers, Anti is a two-time team national champion (2016, 2017), a two-time team national runner-up (2018, 2019) and a four-time Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) champion.
The Fort Benning, Georgia, native competed in over 55 matches throughout his time at WVU. Anti shot a career-high 594 in air rifle against Ohio State on Sept. 30, 2017, while registering a career-high 590 in smallbore on two separate occasions (Feb. 27, 2016, at GARC Championships, Jan. 20, 2017, vs. Navy). Anti concluded his collegiate career with five All-GARC honors.
Anti collected Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association All-Academic honors four times, two College of Sports Information Directors Association academic at-large recognitions and two academic all-Big 12 at-large awards, the highest academic honor from the Big 12 Conference.
Anti graduated from West Virginia in spring 2019 with bachelor degrees in finance and accounting.
Anti was a member of the national junior shooting team and was a Junior Olympics champion. His father, Mike, is a four-time Olympian and 2004 Olympic silver medalist in three-position rifle, and is currently the head coach at the Naval Academy.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks rifle team, follow @NanooksRifle on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Rifle page on Facebook.