 Anderson at the 2015 Sun Belt Media Day | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Southern Miss |
| Conference | Sun Belt |
| Record | 0–1 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1969-03-24)March 24, 1969 (age 56) Jonesboro, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1987–1989 | Baylor |
| 1989–1991 | Sam Houston State |
| Positions | Quarterback,wide receiver |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1992 | Eastern New Mexico (GA) |
| 1993 | Eastern New Mexico (WR) |
| 1994 | Howard Payne (WR) |
| 1995–1997 | Trinity Valley (QB/WR/DB/RC) |
| 1998 | Trinity Valley (OC) |
| 1999–2000 | New Mexico (RB) |
| 2001 | New Mexico (WR) |
| 2002–2004 | Middle Tennessee (co-OC/WR) |
| 2007 | Louisiana–Lafayette (OC/QB) |
| 2008–2009 | Southern Miss (RGC/QB) |
| 2010–2011 | Southern Miss (OC/QB) |
| 2012–2013 | North Carolina (OC/QB) |
| 2014–2020 | Arkansas State |
| 2021–2023 | Utah State |
| 2025 | Southern Miss (OC/QB) |
| 2026–present | Southern Miss |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 74–55 |
| Bowls | 3–7 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2Sun Belt (2015, 2016) 1MW (2021) 1Sun Belt West Division (2018) 1MW Mountain Division (2021) | |
Blake Robert Anderson (born March 24, 1969) is an Americanfootball coach and former player who is the current head coach at theUniversity of Southern Mississippi.[1] Anderson previously served as the head coach atUtah State University from 2021 to 2023,Arkansas State University from 2014 to 2020, theoffensive coordinator at theUniversity of North Carolina from 2012 to 2013, and the offensive coordinator, run game coordinator andquarterbacks coach at Southern Miss from 2009 to 2011.[2][3]
Anderson began his playing career as aquarterback andwide receiver atBaylor University from 1987 to 1989, but tore hisACL during practice. After his recovery, he chose to transfer toSam Houston State University where he played as a wide receiver for the Bearkats from 1989 to 1991. At Sam Houston State, he was named to theSouthland Conference All-Academic team as a senior. During his college days, he played in theI formation andVeer offenses popular at the time.[4] Sam Houston State defensive coordinatorMike Lucas told Anderson that he believed he was suited for a coaching role.[5]
Anderson got his start fromHoward Stearns at theEastern New Mexico Greyhounds as a graduate assistant in 1992 and received a full-time position there tutoring wide receivers for the Greyhounds in 1993.[citation needed]
In 1994, he coached wide receivers for theAmerican Southwest Conference co-championHoward Payne University Yellow Jackets under head coachVance Gibson.[citation needed]
Anderson joinedTrinity Valley in 1995 as an assistant. He was theoffensive coordinator during the Cardinals' run to the 1997NJCAA National Championship under coachScott Conley.[citation needed]
Before the 1999 season, he joinedNew Mexico as running backs coach underRocky Long and served in that position until 2000. During the 2001 season, he took the wide receivers coaching position. During the 2000 season his rushing attack averaged 148 yards per game which accounted for 56% of the team's offensive production.[citation needed]
In 2002Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders coachAndy McCollum hired Anderson to serve as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach in replacement ofLarry Fedora who had left forFlorida. At Middle Tennessee he was exposed to variations of thehurry-up offense which dramatically changed his outlook.[4] The Blue Raiders passing offense increased each year under his tenure, improving from 154.0 yards per game in 2002 to 226.7 in 2003 and 267.7 in 2004. Anderson's offense led theSun Belt Conference in scoring offense in 2003 and saw the school's first 1,000 yard receiver in 2004. After leaving Middle Tennessee he left coaching for three years for a stint in private business.[6]
Anderson was hired by CoachRickey Bustle as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for theLouisiana Ragin' Cajuns for the2007 football season, replacing Rob Christophel. Anderson's offense churned out over 250 yards per game on the ground, making it the #6 ranked rushing offense in the nation. The 2007 Ragin' Cajuns became the Sun Belt's first ever 3,000-yard rushing team.[citation needed]
Anderson joinedSouthern Miss Golden Eagles in 2008 as quarterbacks coach and run game coordinator under new coach Fedora. He mentored record-setting futureNational Football League quarterbackAustin Davis during his freshman and sophomore years and was promoted to offensive coordinator for the2010 season where the Golden Eagles averaged 36.9 points per game. Anderson was the play-caller during Southern Miss's12-win season in 2011 including theConference USA Football Championship Game victory over the previously unbeatenHouston Cougars. Southern Miss capped off the 2011 season with a 24–17 victory overNevada in theHawaii Bowl.[7]
When Fedora left Southern Miss for theNorth Carolina Tar Heels in 2012 he took Anderson along as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In hisinaugural season with the Tar Heels, Anderson oversaw an offense that produced 485.6 yards per game, setting over 35 school records, and ending the campaign ranked eighth in the nation in scoring. During the2013 campaign his offense gained 432.4 yards per game.[8]
Anderson was announced asArkansas State's head coach on December 19, 2013. He became Arkansas State's fifth head coach in five years, replacingBryan Harsin who had left forBoise State.[9][10] Arkansas State played in 6 consecutive bowl games and won 2 Sun Belt conference championships under Anderson.
On December 12, 2020, Anderson was hired to be the head coach atUtah State University, replacingGary Andersen.[11] In his first season, he guided the team to an 11–3 record, winning theMountain West championship againstSan Diego State and the inauguralLA Bowl againstOregon State. His second and third seasons saw the Aggies regress to back-to-back 6–7 records, both ending in bowl losses.
Utah State announced its intention to fire Anderson on July 2, 2024, prior to the start of the 2024 football season, which was made formal on July 18.[12][13] Following an internal investigation, he was alleged to have been non-compliant with university rules regarding the reporting of complaints of sexual misconduct. Defensive coordinatorNate Dreiling succeeded Anderson as interim head coach.[14][15]
On December 13, 2024, Anderson was named the returning offensive coordinator on new head coachCharles Huff's staff.[1]
After Huff departed to become the head coach at Memphis, Anderson was promoted to head coach on December 11, 2025.[16]
Anderson was born inJonesboro, Arkansas, but moved toHubbard, Texas, at an early age. He graduated fromHubbard High School.[17] He obtained a degree inkinesiology from Sam Houston State in 1992 and his master's degree insports administration fromEastern New Mexico University in 1994.[18]
Anderson married his first wife, Wendy, in 1992. They had three children together: sons Coleton and Cason, and daughter Callie.[19] Wendy died on August 20, 2019 at the age of 49, after public battle with an aggressive form ofbreast cancer. Defensive coordinatorDavid Duggan coached the team during Anderson's leave.[20][21] Following his move to Utah State, Anderson married the former Brittany King in 2021 and adopted her two daughters Collins and Ellison. Blake's son, Cason Anderson, committed suicide on February 28, 2022 at age 21.[22] Blake and Brittany had a son together, Cannon, in 2024. Anderson is aChristian.[23]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State Red Wolves(Sun Belt Conference)(2014–2020) | |||||||||
| 2014 | Arkansas State | 7–6 | 5–3 | T–4th | LGoDaddy | ||||
| 2015 | Arkansas State | 9–4 | 8–0 | 1st | LNew Orleans | ||||
| 2016 | Arkansas State | 8–5 | 7–1 | T–1st | WCure | ||||
| 2017 | Arkansas State | 7–5 | 6–2 | 3rd | LCamellia | ||||
| 2018 | Arkansas State | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–1st(West) | LArizona | ||||
| 2019 | Arkansas State | 8–5 | 5–3 | 2nd(West) | WCamellia | ||||
| 2020 | Arkansas State | 4–7 | 2–6 | T–3rd(West) | |||||
| Arkansas State: | 51–37 | 38–18 | |||||||
| Utah State Aggies(Mountain West Conference)(2021–2023) | |||||||||
| 2021 | Utah State | 11–3 | 6–2 | T–1st(Mountain) | WLA | 24 | 24 | ||
| 2022 | Utah State | 6–7 | 5–3 | T–3rd(Mountain) | LFirst Responder | ||||
| 2023 | Utah State | 6–7 | 4–4 | T–6th | LFamous Idaho Potato | ||||
| Utah State: | 23–17 | 15–9 | |||||||
| Southern Miss Golden Eagles(Sun Belt Conference)(2025–present) | |||||||||
| 2025 | Southern Miss | 0–1 | LNew Orleans | ||||||
| 2026 | Southern Miss | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Southern Miss: | 0–1 | 0–0 | |||||||
| Total: | 74–55 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||