he focked up
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Utah State's athletic director and university president told football coach Blake Anderson that he was fired for attempting to personally investigate the circumstances of a player's domestic violence arrest, according to a termination letter obtained by ESPN on Friday.
Anderson contacted the girlfriend and the roommate of a Utah State football player in April 2023 and asked both to provide written statements about an altercation that led to the player's arrest, according to an investigation commissioned by the university. Anderson, through his attorney, said the woman and the roommate provided statements without the coach asking for them. Investigators said Anderson told them he was on a "fact-finding mission" to determine whether the player should be suspended or whether they needed to take any further action, according to an investigative report obtained via public records request.
University officials received the final report, which was conducted by the Husch Blackwell law firm, on July 1. The school announced it had placed Anderson on leave on July 2 and formalized its decision to fire him Thursday. A letter signed by athletic director Diana Sabau and university president Elizabeth Cantwell cited several reasons for firing him but highlighted his efforts to "investigate" the player's behavior rather than immediately report the issue to the school's office of equity.