Utah State has knowledgeable coach Blake Anderson that it intends to terminate his employment settlement after an investigation turned up noncompliance with college insurance policies regarding Title IX, the college introduced Tuesday. Anderson has 14 days to reply to the college’s discover. 

Deputy athletic director Jerry Bovee, who served as interim athletic director in 2023, and director of participant growth Austin Albrecht have already been fired for “violations of college insurance policies associated to the reporting of sexual and home violence and failures {of professional} obligations.” 

The crew was knowledgeable that defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach Nate Dreiling, who was employed in January, will function interim coach. 

“As leaders, we’re liable for guaranteeing allegations of USU coverage violations are investigated,” Utah State president Elizabeth Cantwell and athletic director Diana Sabau mentioned in a joint assertion. “As we speak’s actions are the results of a radical exterior investigation, and we consider the proof calls for instant motion. Our job is to fearlessly maintain ourselves and others accountable for his or her conduct and to make it possible for, for the sake of our college students and our neighborhood, we live the values of our college. Whereas recognizing the affect of those choices on our student-athletes and soccer program, we are going to proceed to take the steps essential to ship a respectful, clear and successful tradition at Utah State College.”

Anderson’s legal professional Tom Mars says his shopper plans to contest any termination that comes “with trigger”.

“Like every college, Utah State may fireplace Blake Anderson for any motive so long as they paid his buyout,” Mars’ assertion learn. “Nevertheless, based mostly on the information alleged and the language in Blake’s employment settlement, USU goes to be preventing an uphill battle in the event that they attempt to fireplace him for trigger simply to keep away from paying Blake what he is owed. Stiffing a head coach by blaming him for what his supervisor allegedly did not do is a novel strategy that hasn’t been tried earlier than, however that concept won’t ever maintain up in court docket.”

Although the incident that led to Utah State’s discover to Anderson occurred in Spring 2023, former participant Patrick Maddox filed a lawsuit in opposition to Anderson and Utah State alleging that Anderson retaliated in opposition to Maddox after Maddox recorded Anderson making disparaging remarks about sexual assault victims in a crew assembly. Within the recording, Anderson could be heard saying that it “has by no means been extra glamorized to be the sufferer” of sexual assault. 

The go well with, which was filed in Oct. 2022, claims that Anderson held a gathering with Maddox by which he inspired Maddox to apologize to the crew for recording Anderson’s feedback. Anderson additionally warned Maddox that teammates would possibly “attempt to get solutions out of him” via no matter means doable if he didn’t apologize to the crew. In response to the go well with, Maddox issued an apology in a later crew assembly. Anderson additionally publicly apologized in Dec. 2021 for the feedback he made concerning sexual assault victims. 

Utah State paid Maddox $150,000 in a settlement of the case, in response to The Salt Lake Tribune. 

The 55-year previous Anderson was set to return for his fourth season with the Aggies, who open their 2024 slate on Aug. 31 in opposition to Robert Morris. Anderson was employed to exchange Gary Andersen at Utah State in 2021 after seven years at Arkansas State. 

Anderson instantly led the Aggies to an 11-3 document with a Mountain West title and a win over Oregon State within the Los Angeles Bowl. The Aggies additionally positioned twenty fourth within the last AP High 25, the primary time they completed the 12 months ranked since 2018 and simply their third ranked end of the century. 

Utah State hasn’t loved as a lot success over the previous two years, nevertheless. The Aggies have gone 6-7 in every of the final two seasons with a 9-7 mark in MWC play throughout that span. They’ve additionally misplaced two consecutive bowl video games and have completed no higher than tied for third within the Mountain West’s Mountain division.