Blake Anderson contract buyout: How much does Utah State owe its former coach?

Blake Anderson has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of the Utah State Aggies. The former coach was fired after the school concluded investigations that found him to have violated his contract and university policy.

Anderson was the Aggies' coach for three seasons and departs with a 23-17 record. Let's take a look at how much Utah State owes its former head coach.

How much is Blake Anderson's contract buyout?

According to a report by The Athletic, Blake Anderson's contract buyout is worth $4.5 million. However, with the Aggies firing Anderson for cause, the report states that Anderson won't be paid the buyout.

Utah State parted ways with Anderson for “significant violations of his contractual obligations" on Thursday\. It came 16 days after Utah State informed Anderson that he would be dismissed after the conclusion of an external review that found he failed to comply with Title IX policies on the reporting of sexual misconduct cases.

Speaking after the conclusion of the review, the school said:

"These reporting requirements have a prohibition on employees outside the USU Office of Equity from investigating issues of sexual misconduct, which include domestic violence. Furthermore, Anderson failed to manage the team in a manner that reflects USU’s academic values.”

Who will take over from Blake Anderson at Utah State?

According to Yahoo Sports, Utah State defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling has taken over as interim head coach for the upcoming season. Dreiling attended the Aggies' media days ahead of the upcoming season.

With Anderson's firing, the school can now look for a full-time head coach before its opening game of the 2024 college football season against the Robert Morris Colonials.

Blake Anderson went 6-7 in each of the last two seasons with the Aggies, and it seemed like only a matter of time before the team moved in a different direction. The program will aim for a better season under a different coach, and the goal would be to win a Bowl game in 2024.