Utah State fired football coach Blake Anderson on Thursday for what it called “significant violations of his contractual obligations.”
The firing came more than two weeks after the school informed Anderson of its plans to terminate his contract due to actions in spring 2023 that violated “both his employment contract and university policy.” The school said it conducted an external review that determined he failed to comply with Title IX policies regarding reporting instances of sexual misconduct.
The university also fired Jerry Bovee, Utah State's associate vice president and assistant athletic director for external affairs, and Austin Albrecht, director of player and community development, for alleged violations of university policies related to reporting sexual and domestic violence and failure to fulfill professional responsibilities.
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Utah State Aggies head coach Blake Anderson during the first half of his team's game against the New Mexico Lobos at University Stadium on November 26, 2021 in Albuquerque, NM. (Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
After informing Anderson that his employment contract would end on July 2, the school waited two weeks for Anderson's response, as required by Utah law.
On Thursday, Utah State officially fired Anderson.
“To USU's disappointment, Anderson's response failed to acknowledge his responsibilities as a USU employee or head coach and instead sought to make excuses and unsuccessfully restate the plain language of USU policies,” the university said.
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Utah State Aggies head coach Blake Anderson talks into his headset during the first half of a game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Maverik Stadium on October 13, 2023, in Logan, Utah. (Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
Anderson, 55, was about to begin his fourth season with the school after posting a 23-17 record in his first three seasons, including the Aggies' first Mountain West championship in his first season.
Nate Dreiling was promoted to interim head coach after serving as Utah State's defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach under Anderson.
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Utah State Aggies head coach Blake Anderson during the first half of a game at University Stadium on November 24, 2023 in Albuquerque, NM (Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
“While I recognize that today's decision has a significant impact, it is the only one that can be made based on the facts,” USU President Elizabeth Cantwell said in a statement. “We are committed to moving forward in building a winning athletic program based on student success and integrity.”
The Aggies open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Robert Morris.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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