Blake Anderson retains Tom Mars as lawyer amid Utah State firing
After being suspended and then told he will be fired as Utah State head football coach, Blake Anderson responded by hiring high-profile sports attorney Tom Mars to defend himself, according to ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel.
Utah State announced its intention to terminate Anderson's contract with the school after having placed him on administrative leave following an investigation.
Anderson was ousted by Utah State for allegedly failing to comply with Title IX regulations, the school said, in particular its claim of his failure to report sexual misconduct and violence.
Mars is already going on the offensive, saying that Utah State has an "uphill battle" in its claim that it has the ability to fire Anderson for cause.
The noted attorney also said that the real blame might lie with those administrators above Anderson, who were also relieved by the school.
"Stiffing a head coach by blaming him for what his supervisor was supposed to do is a novel approach, but that theory will never hold up in court," Mars said, per Thamel.
Utah State's announcement explained how the school reached its decision to part with Anderson.
"This decision comes after a thorough external review of alleged noncompliance with university policies that implement Title IX, which require full and timely reporting of disclosures for sexual misconduct — including domestic violence — and prohibit employees from investigating disclosures of sexual misconduct themselves," Utah State said.
(Thamel)
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JAMES PARKS
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.