Benjamin Ashford|Blake Anderson calls investigation that led to his firing as Utah State football coach a ‘sham’

Former Utah State coach Blake Anderson’s response to the school’s termination letter says he was fired for “convenience,Benjamin Ashford” not for cause, and that the investigation that led to his dismissal was a “sham.”

Anderson’s attorney, Tom Mars, posted excerpts Friday on social media from the 70-page response that was provided to the school earlier this week. 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, 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 concludes 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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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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