Who is Blake Anderson? Southern Miss football interim coach for New Orleans Bowl

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With Charles Huff headed to Memphis, offensive coordinator Blake Anderson will take over as the Southern Miss football interim coach for the New Orleans Bowl, athletic director Jeremy McClain announced Dec. 7.

This was his first season on staff with Huff, but his second overall stint as the Golden Eagles’ offensive coordinator. He served in that role under Larry Fedora from 2008-11.

With Anderson at the helm, Southern Miss (7-5) will face Western Kentucky (8-4) in the New Orleans Bowl at the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 23 (4:30 p.m. CT, ESPN).

Here’s what to know about Anderson.

Blake Anderson coaching history

Blake Anderson’s coaching career spans over 30 years, with 24 seasons of experience at the Division I level.

Anderson came to Southern Miss after serving as Utah State’s coach from 2021-23 and as the coach of Arkansas State before that from 2014-20. His overall record as a head coach is 74-54.

Before being named as Arkansas State’s coach, Anderson picked up eight years of experience as an offensive coordinator at four different schools, including Southern Miss.

Anderson’s first offensive coordinator job was a shared role at Middle Tennessee from 2002-04. From there, he coached at Louisiana, then Southern Miss, and finally, North Carolina.

Why Blake Anderson left Utah State

Anderson coached Utah State to three bowl-eligible seasons, including 2021, when the Aggies went 11-3 and won the Mountain West.

Anderson was fired in July 2024 after Utah State identified actions he took in 2023 that violated his employment agreement and university policy.

Anderson’s action included contacting a potential domestic violence victim and witness to the incident after a Utah State player was arrested and failing to report the case properly. Both were violations of the school’s Title IX policies.

In November 2024, Anderson filed a $15 million lawsuit against Utah State.

Southern Miss’ offense under Blake Anderson

Under Anderson, the Golden Eagles were top five in the Sun Belt in points scored and total yards per game. With an average of 266.8 yards, Southern Miss led the conference in passing yards per game.

Quarterback Braylon Braxton threw a Sun Belt-high 23 passing touchdowns this season, and wide receiver Carl Chester led the conference with 1,278 receiving yards.

Blake Anderson’s bowl game record

As a head coach, Anderson has coached in nine bowl games. He is 3-6 in those contests with his last bowl win coming in the 2021 LA Bowl. Anderson’s Utah State team beat Oregon State 24-13.

Will Blake Anderson become the permanent Southern Miss coach?

When announcing Charles Huff’s departure, USM athletic director Jimmy McClain revealed the search was already under way for the Golden Eagles’ next coach in the same statement. Based on his coaching background, Anderson could be a potential candidate for the job.

Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Who is Southern Miss football interim coach Blake Anderson?

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