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Utah State has announced its intent to fire football coach Blake Anderson following an external investigation into alleged violations of Title IX policies “requiring complete and timely reporting of sexual misconduct disclosures, including domestic violence,” it was announced Tuesday.
In a statement, Utah State said the investigation stemmed from “actions taken in the spring of 2023” that “violated both her employment agreement and university policy.” It also alleged that Anderson violated rules that “prohibit employees from investigating their own disclosures of sexual misconduct.”
The university said Anderson has 14 days to respond under the terms of his employment contract.
Deputy athletic director Jerry Bowie and director of player development Austin Albrecht were fired for “violations of university policy on sexual and domestic violence reporting and failure of professional responsibility.”
Defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling has been named the interim coach for the 2024 season, while athletic director Diana Sabau met with the team and football staff on Tuesday to break the news.
“As leaders, we are responsible for ensuring that allegations of violations of USU policy are investigated,” university presidents Elizabeth Cantwell and Sabau said in a joint statement. “Today’s actions are the result of a thorough external investigation, and we believe the evidence warrants immediate action.
“Our job is to fearlessly hold ourselves and others accountable for their behavior and ensure that, for the sake of our students and our community, we live up to our university’s values. While recognizing the impact these decisions have on our student athletes and football program, we at Utah State University are a We will continue to take the necessary steps to provide a respectful, transparent and winning culture.”
Anderson, 55, went 23-17 in three seasons at Utah State and won the Mountain West Conference in 2021. The Aggies, however, went 6-7 the following season after losing in the famous Idaho Potato Bowl to cap last season.
He previously coached at Arkansas State, going 51-37 from 2014 to 2020. He took a leave of absence before the 2019 season just before his wife, Wendy Anderson, died after a two-year battle with breast cancer.
He also endured another personal tragedy. His son Cason died by suicide in 2022 at the age of 21. Anderson then became an advocate for mental health.
Utah State opens the 2024 season against Robert Morris on Aug. 31 before visiting USC and hosting Utah the following two weeks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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