Ex-Utah State Football Coach Fired, Denounces Investigation as ‘Sham
Former Utah State football coach Blake Anderson was fired for “convenience” rather than cause, according to his response to the school’s termination letter. Anderson’s attorney posted excerpts from the response, which stated that the investigation leading to his dismissal was a “sham.” The school had notified him of his intent to dismiss for cause after an investigation found he failed to comply with Title IX policies regarding reporting sexual misconduct cases. Anderson’s response claimed that the university violated standards for a professional investigation and owed him his full buyout of $4.5 million along with a public apology. University President Elizabeth Cantwell defended the decision, stating that it was made based on facts and a commitment to building a winning athletics program. Anderson had a record of 23-17 with a Mountain West title in three seasons at Utah State and is set to open the 2024 season on August 31 against Robert Morris.
Former Utah State coach Blake Anderson’s response to the school’s termination letter says that he was fired for “convenience,” not for cause, and that the investigation that led to his dismissal was a “sham.”
Anderson’s attorney, Tom Mars, posted excerpts from the 70-page response that was provided to the school earlier this week on social media on Friday. Anderson’s firing was made official Thursday. Utah State notified him of its intent to dismiss for cause July 2 after an investigation found he failed to comply with Title IX policies regarding the reporting of sexual misconduct cases.
“These reporting requirements include a prohibition on employees outside the USU Office of Equity from investigating issues of sexual misconduct, including domestic violence,” the school said. “Additionally, Anderson failed to manage the team in a manner that reflects USU’s academic values.”
The response said the university began its investigation last year following an incident that occurred in April 2023. The document referred to Kansas’ dismissal of then-football head coach David Beaty in 2018 as starting a trend in college sports where schools attempt to manufacture reasons to fire highly paid coaches without paying the agreed upon buyout.
Beaty won a $2.5 million settlement with Kansas. Anderson was under contract through 2027, and his contract called for a buyout.
The response said Utah State failed to understand the limitations of its policies and violated standards for a professional investigation while “grasping at straws to find cause.”
The result, the response said, was false allegations against Anderson.
The response concluded that Utah State owes Anderson his full buyout — which stood at $4.5 million as of last December, according to USA Today’s coaches’ salary database — and a public apology.
“While I recognize that today’s decision has a significant impact, it is the only one that could be made based on the facts. We are committed to moving forward in building a winning athletics program grounded in student success and integrity,” university President Elizabeth Cantwell said in a statement Thursday.
Anderson, 55, was 23-17 with a Mountain West title in three seasons at Utah State. He went 6-7 in each of the last two seasons. He is 74-54 in 10 seasons as a major college football coach, including seven seasons at Arkansas State.
The Aggies open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Robert Morris.
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