Southern Miss to Promote Offensive Coordinator Blake Anderson to Head Coach

Anderson will replace Charles Huff, who left after one season to become the coach at Memphis.

Former Arkansas State and Utah State head coach Blake Anderson will be the next head coach at Southern Miss. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Southern Miss is promoting offensive coordinator Blake Anderson to head coach, according to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Anderson was named as the school’s interim following the departure of head coach Charles Huff, who left to become the coach at Memphis once the regular season ended. Anderson will coach the program in the New Orleans Bowl against Western Kentucky on Dec. 23.

The 56-year-old Anderson is a former head coach at Arkansas State and Utah State. He was fired from his position at Utah State in the summer of 2024 after it was found that he tried to personally investigate an alleged domestic violence incident between one of this players and a girlfriend. The fact-finding mission by Anderson violated Title IX rules, and he was fired for cause.

Anderson is 74–54 in 10 seasons at Arkansas State and Utah State, with nine bowl appearances.

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