With Utah State planning to fire him, Blake Anderson has retained Tom Mars to represent him against his soon-to-be former employer.
Anderson's contract gives him 14 days to the termination letter the school sent today.
“Like any university, Utah State could fire Blake Anderson for any reason as long as they paid his buyout,” Mars said in a statement to The Athletic. “However, (b)ased on the facts alleged and the language in Blake’s employment agreement, USU is going to be fighting an uphill battle if they try to fire him for cause just to avoid paying Blake what he’s owed.”
“Stiffing a head coach by blaming him for what his supervisor was supposed to do is a novel approach, but that theory will never hold up in court," Mars told ESPN.
In its statement, Utah State said it intended to fire Anderson for "actions taken in spring 2023."
"This decision comes after a thorough external review of alleged noncompliance with university policies that implement Title IX, which require full and timely reporting of disclosures of sexual misconduct — including domestic violence — and prohibit employees from investigating disclosures of sexual misconduct themselves," the statement continued. Deputy AD for external affairs Jerry Bovee and football director of player development and community Austin Albrecht were also dismissed for the same reasons.
Following a Mountain West championship and AP top-25 ranking in his debut season of 2021, Utah State extended Anderson heading into the 2022 campaign, keeping him under contract through 2027. With a salary topping out at $1.575 million a year, Utah State would owe 75 percent of the current remaining salary if Anderson were terminated without cause. That figure would equate to roughly $4.5 million.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.