LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Utah State University announced Tuesday that it has fired football coach Blake Anderson following the results of an outside investigation into allegations that he failed to comply with Title IX regulations regarding reporting sexual misconduct.
Nate Dreiling, who served as Utah State's defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach, will become Utah State's interim coach next season. The university announced that athletic director Diana Sabaut met with players and staff on Tuesday to inform them of the move. news release.
Utah State also announced that Jerry Boaby, assistant vice president and associate athletic director for external relations, and Austin Albrecht, football's director of player development and community affairs, had been fired for “violating university policy regarding reporting sexual assault and domestic violence and dereliction of duty.”
Bobby served as Utah State's interim athletic director in 2023. Utah State said Anderson was fired for conduct that occurred in the spring of 2023.
Utah noted that Title IX policy “requires full and timely reporting of disclosures of sexual misconduct, including domestic violence, and prohibits employees from self-investigating disclosures of sexual misconduct.”
“As leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that allegations of violations of USU policies are investigated,” Sabau and Utah State University President Elizabeth Cantwell said in an email to faculty and staff. “Today's actions are the result of a thorough external investigation, and we believe the evidence calls for immediate action. Our job is to fearlessly hold ourselves and others accountable for their actions and to embody the values of the university for our students and community.”
“While we recognize the impact these decisions have on our student-athletes and football program, we will continue to take the steps necessary to achieve a respectful, transparent and winning culture at Utah State.”
University officials noted that under the terms of his employment contract, Anderson has 14 days to respond to the university's decision. They said they cannot release any additional information until all opportunities to respond or appeal the decision have been exhausted.
Anderson spent three seasons at Utah State, compiling a 23-17 record and going to a bowl game each of those years. 2021: 11 wins, 3 losses We did six or seven in each of the past two years.
He comes to Utah State after going 51-37 at Arkansas State from 2014-20. He took a leave of absence prior to the 2019 season, shortly before his wife retired. Wendy Anderson She passed away after a two-year battle with breast cancer. He returned for the second game of that season and helped Arkansas State to an 8-5 record.
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