{"id":2301092,"date":"2024-07-19T15:24:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T19:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-utah-state-football-coach-fired-calls-investigation-a-sham\/"},"modified":"2024-07-19T15:26:03","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T19:26:03","slug":"ex-utah-state-football-coach-fired-denounces-investigation-as-sham-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-utah-state-football-coach-fired-denounces-investigation-as-sham-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Utah State Football Coach Fired, Denounces Investigation as &#8216;Sham"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fex-utah-state-football-coach-fired-denounces-investigation-as-sham-2%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2301092&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The former Utah State coach, Blake Anderson, responded \u2064to his termination \u2064letter by\u200d stating that he was fired for &#8220;convenience&#8221; and not for cause. He claimed that the investigation leading to his dismissal was a &#8220;sham.&#8221; The school notified him of its intent to dismiss for cause\u2064 after finding that he failed to comply\u200c with Title IX policies regarding the reporting of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/progressive-lawyers-help-biden-administration-gut-devoss-title-ix-rules\/\" title=\"Progressive Lawyers Help Biden Administration Gut DeVos\u2019s Title IX Rules\">sexual misconduct cases<\/a>. Anderson&#8217;s attorney\u200c posted excerpts from the response on social media, demanding his full \u200dbuyout and a public apology from the\u200b university. The response \u200bhighlighted that \u2064Utah\u2062 State failed \u200bto understand its policies and violated standards \u200dfor \u2062a professional investigation. Anderson, who\u200d had a Mountain West title in three seasons at Utah State, is seeking his $4.5\u2062 million buyout. The university president\u2063 stated that the decision was made based on \u2062facts and the commitment to build a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/university-of-southern-california-hires-new-athletic-director\/\" title=\"USC hires new athletic director.\">winning athletics program<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section>\n<p>Former Utah State coach Blake Anderson&rsquo;s response to the school&rsquo;s termination letter says that he was fired for &ldquo;convenience,&rdquo; not for cause, and that the investigation that led to his dismissal was a &ldquo;sham.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Anderson&rsquo;s attorney, Tom Mars, posted excerpts from the 70-page response that was provided to the school earlier this week&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TomMarsLaw\/status\/1814339519245914370\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on social media<\/a> on Friday. Anderson&rsquo;s firing was made official Thursday. Utah State notified him of its intent to dismiss for cause July 2 after an investigation found he failed to comply with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/federal-judge-blocks-bidens-transgender-title-ix-changes-slams-admin-abuse-power\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Title IX<\/a> policies regarding the reporting of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/family-5-completely-shattered-discovering-dads-hidden-folder-horrifying-situation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sexual misconduct cases<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These reporting requirements include a prohibition on employees outside the USU Office of Equity from investigating issues of sexual misconduct, including domestic violence,&rdquo; the school said. &ldquo;Additionally, Anderson failed to manage the team in a manner that reflects USU&rsquo;s academic values.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The response said the university began its investigation last year following an incident that occurred in April 2023. The document referred to Kansas&rsquo; dismissal of then-football head coach David Beaty in 2018 as starting a trend in college sports where schools attempt to manufacture reasons to fire highly paid coaches without paying the agreed upon buyout.<\/p>\n<p>Beaty won a $2.5 million settlement with Kansas. Anderson was under contract through 2027, and his contract called for a buyout.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>The response said Utah State failed to understand the limitations of its policies and violated standards for a professional investigation while &ldquo;grasping at straws to find cause.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The result, the response said, was false allegations against Anderson.<\/p>\n<p>The response concluded that Utah State owes Anderson his full buyout &mdash; which stood at $4.5 million as of last December, according to USA Today&rsquo;s coaches&rsquo; salary database &mdash; and a public apology.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While I recognize that today&rsquo;s decision has a significant impact, it is the only one that could be made based on the facts. We are committed to moving forward in building a winning athletics program grounded in student success and integrity,&rdquo; university President Elizabeth Cantwell said in a statement Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Anderson, 55, was 23-17 with a Mountain West title in three seasons at Utah State. He went 6-7 in each of the last two seasons. He is 74-54 in 10 seasons as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-utah-state-football-coach-fired-denounces-investigation-as-sham\/\" title=\"Ex-Utah State Football Coach Fired, Denounces Investigation as &#039;Sham\">major college football coach<\/a>, including seven seasons at Arkansas State.<\/p>\n<p>The Aggies open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Robert Morris.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Utah State coach Blake Anderson&#8217;s response to the termination letter from the school indicates that he believes he was fired for convenience rather than for a valid reason. He also claims that the investigation leading to his dismissal was not conducted properly. Anderson&#8217;s attorney shared excerpts from the response on social media, stating that the university&#8217;s actions were unjustified. The response argues that the school misinterpreted its policies and unfairly targeted Anderson, resulting in false allegations. Anderson is seeking his full buyout, which was reported to be $4.5 million as of last December, and a public apology from Utah State. The university&#8217;s president, Elizabeth Cantwell, defended the decision to terminate Anderson, citing the need to uphold integrity in the athletics program. Anderson had a successful record at Utah State, including a Mountain West title, but his contract was terminated before its expiration in 2027<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2301093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2b24276a86434b6ea27ea9541ba4c723-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4024,6363,5541,3976,35608],"class_list":["post-2301092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-coach","tag-fired","tag-football","tag-investigation","tag-utah-state"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2b24276a86434b6ea27ea9541ba4c723-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2301092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2301092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2301092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2301093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2301092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2301092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2301092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}