In a shocking turn of events, the Utah State football program has announced that head coach Blake Anderson has been placed on administrative leave with the intent to terminate his employment. The decision comes after alleged violations of his employment agreement in the spring of 2023, which has prompted a thorough external review of the coach's actions.

The university issued a statement stating that Anderson's actions violated university policies implementing Title IX, specifically related to the reporting of sexual misconduct, including domestic violence. These policies require full and timely reporting of such incidents and prohibit employees from conducting their own investigations.

Associate Vice President & Deputy Athletic Director of External Affairs Jerry Bovee and Utah State Football Director of Player Development & Community Austin Albrecht have also been dismissed for their involvement in violating university policies regarding the reporting of sexual and domestic violence and their failures of professional responsibilities.

According to Utah State, Anderson has been given 14 days to respond to the allegations. However, no additional information regarding the violations will be released until all opportunities to respond and appeal have been exhausted, in adherence to Utah's public records laws and university policies.

The news of Anderson's potential departure was first reported by ESPN earlier on Tuesday. The university has appointed defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling as the interim head coach during this tumultuous period. Anderson was set to enter his fourth season at the helm of the Aggies' football program after leaving Arkansas State.

Anderson's tenure at Utah State has been marred by controversy. In December of 2021, he issued an apology after being recorded telling his players that it was a "glamorous time" to be a victim of sexual assault. The apology followed a Title IX lawsuit against the university, which alleged a failure to address sexual assault complaints involving football players.

On the field, Utah State has struggled in the past two seasons, finishing with a 6-7 record each year. The team lost the First Responder Bowl at the end of the 2022 season and the Potato Bowl in the previous year. These disappointing performances have exacerbated the program's challenges.

Anderson began his head coaching career at Arkansas State in 2014, where he achieved success with winning seasons in each of his first six years. However, a COVID-impacted 2020 season resulted in a downturn, finishing with a 4-7 record. He left Arkansas State at the end of that season to replace Gary Andersen at Utah State.

Meanwhile, Nate Dreiling, the current defensive coordinator, will take charge of the team on an interim basis. Dreiling arrives at Utah State after serving as the defensive coordinator at New Mexico State for the past two seasons, during which the team achieved a 10-5 record and made it to the Conference USA title game in 2023.

If Anderson's termination becomes permanent, Utah State players would have 30 days to enter the transfer portal due to the coaching change. However, with fall practices about to begin and team rosters mostly settled for the 2024 season, finding new schools may prove challenging for the players affected.

This disciplinary action against Anderson marks the second straight season where a coach has been dismissed in July for disciplinary reasons. Last year, Northwestern's coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired in the aftermath of a hazing scandal. The school appointed defensive coordinator David Braun as the interim coach, who eventually became the permanent head coach.

As the University of Utah State faces these significant coaching shake-ups, the football program and its players will have to navigate the upcoming season amidst uncertainty and potential difficulty in finding new teams for those affected by the coaching change.