Utah State is extending the contract of head football coach Blake Anderson after just one year on the job.
The school announced Friday that Anderson has verbally agreed to a two-year extension that will keep him at Utah State through the 2027 season. No financial terms were disclosed.
The Aggies were 11-3 on the season and defeated San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference championship game, which followed a 6-2 conference record. They defeated Oregon State 24-13 in the inaugural LA Bowl last Saturday.
“In just one year at the helm, Blake Anderson has transformed a one-win team into a Mountain West Championship team,” athletic director John Hartwell said in a news release. “The positive and team-centered culture he and his staff have created and fostered permeates throughout Aggie Nation. As remarkable as the on-the field success has been, the academic achievements and personal development of our football student-athletes under his leadership are even more impressive. Blake’s character, integrity and passion for the academic, personal, and athletic growth of our student-athletes have fueled the success of this team. Under coach Anderson’s leadership, the future of Aggie football is very bright.”
The win over No. 19 San Diego State gave the Aggies their first-ever MWC title and their first victory against a ranked opponent in six seasons. Utah State started the year with a 26-23 road win at Washington State for its first Power Five road win since 1971.
Utah State was 1-5 in the coronavirus-interrupted 2020 season. The school fired head coach Gary Andersen during the season and hired his successor on Dec. 12, 2020.
Blake Anderson, 52, was the head coach at Arkansas State from 2014-20 after a long career as an assistant coach that included stints as offensive coordinator at North Carolina, Southern Miss and Louisiana.
