A-State Has A New Coach – Blake Anderson

 

 

[tweet https://twitter.com/TerryMohajirAD/status/413670339487756288]

 

Our sources say Arkansas State has a new head football coach: Blake Anderson. Anderson has worked most recently as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

Anderson has Sun Belt Conference coaching experience with time at UL-Lafayatte and Middle Tennessee State University. He knows the league.

A press conference to officially announce the new coach Thursday in Jonesboro at 2 p.m. has been confirmed by Arkansas State University.

Here is a tweet from Anderson’s son, Coleton:

[tweet https://twitter.com/ColetonAnderson/status/413660125157924864]

Here is Anderson’s bio from UNC:

In just one season as Carolina’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Blake Anderson helped the Tar Heels rewrite the school’s offensive record book.  Carolina established more than 35 school records in 2012, including most points, most points per game and total offense.

The Tar Heels finished eighth nationally in scoring, averaging 40.6 points per game and were 14th nationally with 485.6 yards per game.  Carolina’s passing attack was 26th nationally with 291.8 yards per contest, and the Tar Heels also rushed for 193.8 yards per game, their highest average since 1994.

 Individuals excelled in Anderson’s system at every position. Quarterback Bryn Renner set the single-season record for touchdown passes with 28, wide receiver Quinshad Davis established new freshman records at UNC with 61 catches and 776 receiving yards and tailback Giovani Bernard led the ACC in rushing and all-purpose yardage. Renner also set school records for total offense and 300-yard passing games in a season.  Eric Ebron tripled his output from his previous season and set UNC marks for receptions and receiving yards by a tight end.

All three of Carolina’s senior offensive linemen were selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, led by No. 7 overall pick Jonathan Cooper, who became the highest guard taken in the draft since 1985. Tackle Brennan Williams was a third-round pick and guard Travis Bond was taken in the seventh round. Bernard was picked in the second round by Cincinnati.

Anderson came to Chapel Hill after a record-setting run as USM’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Golden Eagles established school records for total offense in each of Anderson’s last two years. He was part of a Southern Miss staff under head coach Larry Fedora that won a school-record 12 games in 2012, including the Conference USA championship over previously unbeaten Houston and the Hawaii Bowl over Nevada.

Anderson spent his first two seasons as USM’s quarterbacks coach and run-game coordinator and developed Austin Davis into one of the nation’s top signal callers. Davis broke nearly every school record in an outstanding four-year career.

Under the eye of Anderson, the Golden Eagles were one of 14 teams in the country that averaged more than 200 yards per game in both rushing and passing in 2011. The Golden Eagles had nearly 6,500 yards of total offense and set a school record with 461.4 yards per game. In addition, USM was 15th nationally in scoring offense, 16th in total offense and 21st in rushing offense. Anderson’s offense posted 30-or-more points in 10 of 14 games in 2011, including a season-high 63 in a win over Navy.

In 2010, Southern Miss was 18th in total offense, 20th in rushing offense and 35th in passing offense. The Golden Eagles also averaged 36.9 points per game to rank 15th in the nation. That season, Anderson’s quarterbacks were among the most efficient in the nation with only eight interceptions thrown – including one by a wide receiver – to 24 touchdowns. Davis accounted for 10 of the team’s 28 rushing touchdowns, more than any other back.

In his first year in Hattiesburg in 2008, Anderson mentored then redshirt freshman and first-year starter Davis, who responded by having the best season ever for a freshman QB at the school, while also putting together one of the better years that any signal caller has had at the university.

Davis, who was the first freshman to start in his opening game since 1991, notched 15 school records, including six season marks: passing yards (3,128), completions (261), attempts (454), total offense (3,636) and touchdowns responsible for (30).

Anderson came to Southern Miss after spending the 2007 campaign at Louisiana-Lafayette as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

The Ragin’ Cajuns posted the No. 6-rated rushing offense nationally (251.6) in 2007 and became the Sun Belt’s first ever 3,000-yard rushing team (3,019).

Anderson, who was in private business from 2004-06, previously worked at Middle Tennessee, where he helped direct an offensive unit as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2002-04.

Anderson spent three seasons at New Mexico before landing at MTSU. He served as the wide receivers coach in 2001 and running backs coach from 1999-2000. The UNM rushing attack was responsible for a major share of the Lobo offense in 2000. The Lobos averaged 148 yards per game on the ground, which accounted for 56 percent of the team’s total offense.

Anderson worked at Trinity Valley Community College (1995-98) before joining the Division I FCS ranks at New Mexico. In 1998, he was the offensive coordinator and the Cardinals went 7-3. He helped lead the Cardinals to the 1997 NJCAA National Championship.

Anderson began his coaching career at Eastern New Mexico in 1992 (graduate assistant) and 1993 (full-time) where he tutored the wide receivers. He then moved on to Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, to coach wide receivers in 1994. HPU won the Texas IAA conference title.

A two-year letter winner at wide receiver for Sam Houston State from 1989-91, Anderson was named Southland Conference All-Academic as a senior. He also played for two years as a quarterback and receiver at Baylor (1987-89) before transferring. A native of Hubbard, Texas, Anderson graduated with his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Sam Houston State in 1992. He also attained his master’s degree in sports administration from Eastern New Mexico in 1994.

Anderson and his wife, Wendy, have one daughter, Callie, and two sons, Coleton and Cason.