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 varsity 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 improvement 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 staff was knowledgeable that defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach Nate Dreiling, who was employed in January, will function interim coach. 

“As leaders, we’re answerable for making certain allegations of USU coverage violations are investigated,” Utah State president Elizabeth Cantwell and athletic director Diana Sabau mentioned in a joint assertion. “Right now’s actions are the results of an intensive exterior investigation, and we imagine the proof calls for quick motion. Our job is to fearlessly maintain ourselves and others accountable for his or her conduct and to guarantee that, for the sake of our college students and our group, we live the values of our college. Whereas recognizing the affect of those selections on our student-athletes and soccer program, we are going to proceed to take the steps essential to ship a respectful, clear and profitable tradition at Utah State College.”

Anderson’s lawyer Tom Mars says his consumer plans to contest any termination that comes “with trigger”.

“Like every college, Utah State might hearth Blake Anderson for any purpose so long as they paid his buyout,” Mars’ assertion learn. “Nonetheless, primarily based on the details alleged and the language in Blake’s employment settlement, USU goes to be combating an uphill battle in the event that they attempt to hearth 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 didn’t do is a novel method that hasn’t been tried earlier than, however that principle won’t ever maintain up in courtroom.”

Although the incident that led to Utah State’s discover to Anderson occurred in Spring 2023, former participant Patrick Maddox filed a lawsuit towards Anderson and Utah State alleging that Anderson retaliated towards Maddox after Maddox recorded Anderson making disparaging remarks about sexual assault victims in a staff assembly. Within the recording, Anderson will 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 during which he inspired Maddox to apologize to the staff for recording Anderson’s feedback. Anderson additionally warned Maddox that teammates would possibly “attempt to get solutions out of him” via no matter means potential if he didn’t apologize to the staff. In response to the go well with, Maddox issued an apology in a later staff 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 accordance with The Salt Lake Tribune. 

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

Anderson instantly led the Aggies to an 11-3 report with a Mountain West title and a win over Oregon State within the Los Angeles Bowl. The Aggies additionally positioned twenty fourth within the ultimate AP High 25, the primary time they completed the yr 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.