Red Wolves’ Anderson receives contract extension

A- State coach signed through 2023 season with restructured deal

JONESBORO — Arkansas State head football coach Blake Anderson has received a restructured contract extension that runs through 2023, according to a news release issued Friday.

“Due to our unprecedented FBS success under a head coach with Blake’s tenure, we started the process before the 2019 season to extend his contract,” said Terry Mohajir, vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics. “During this process, it gave us an opportunity to restructure his contract as well to be more beneficial for all parties.”

According to an email from Jerry Scott, associate athletics director for media relations, Anderson’s salary was unchanged in the contract restructuring.

Anderson currently earns $825,000 a year in his salary and personal service agreement with the Red Wolves Foundation.

“I’d like to thank our athletics director Terry Mohajir, chancellor Dr.

(Kelly) Damphousse and system president Dr.

(Chuck) Welch for their leadership and support,” said Anderson in the release. “When Wendy and I and our family arrived at Arkansas State over six years ago I talked about how ecstatic we were to be here, and I am just as excited today as I was then to be a part of this wonderful program, university and community.”

The contract extension runs through Dec. 31, 2023, and among the amendments to the old contract were new opportunities for Anderson to earn bonus pay.

According to the new contract, Anderson can earn a bonus of $100,000 for preparing the team for and coaching the team in a college football playoff semifinal game. He can earn $200,000 for preparing the team for and coaching the team in the college football championship game.

The new contract also allows Anderson to receive a $15,000 bonus for preparing the team for and coaching the team in the Sun Belt Conference Championship football game.

Remaining the same is the $50,000 bonus he will receive each year the program wins a conference championship and the coach prepares the team for, and coaches the team in, a NCAA sanctioned bowl game. Also, Anderson is eligible for a $25,000 bonus for each year the program receives or earns a bid or berth to participate in a NCAA sanctioned bowl game absent a conference championship.

The new contract also adds a $5,000 bonus for each year the football team’s Academic Performance Rate is at a level of 980 or above.

All total, the potential bonus payouts in the new contract add up to a minimum of $485,000 (some bonuses could be earned more than once). In the old contract, that total was $335,000.

“We believe this strengthens the continuity for our emerging football brand with Blake serving as a strong leader for our young guys in their athletics and academic pursuits. He has been very instrumental in our development of lettermen who go on to be great alumni representing Arkansas State University so well,” Moharjir stated in the release.

Anderson was named Arkansas State’s 30th alltime head football coach on Dec. 29, 2013, and since that time has led the Red Wolves to a pair of Sun Belt Conference titles and six consecutive bowl-game appearances. He is one of just two active Group of Five head coaches in the nation to lead their programs to at least two conference championships and six bowl games since 2014. In addition to the 2015 and 2016 Sun Belt titles, Anderson guided the Red Wolves to a tie for first place in the league’s West Division in 2018. The Red Wolves have won 36 Sun Belt games during Anderson’s watch, which are the second most ever by any of the league’s alltime head coaches.

The Hubbard, Texas, native is the only head football coach in school history to lead the program to at least 47 victories in his first six seasons. Additionally, he is one of just three head coaches at A-State to direct the program to 47 or more wins in 76 or fewer games.

Arkansas State most recently completed the 2019 season with at least eight victories for the fourth time under Anderson, but just the seventh time since moving to the FBS level in 1992.

Anderson coached A-State to a 34-26 win over FIU in the Camellia Bowl and following the season was named the winner of the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award.

Including every year under Anderson, A-State has made a bowl-game appearance nine consecutive years for the 14th longest active streak in the nation. Since Anderson’s first season in 2014, A-State is one of just five Group of 5 programs to play in six bowl games.

A-State has piled up 75 victories over the last nine years, including 47 during Anderson’s tenure, to tie the 24th most in the nation over that span. During his time with the Red Wolves, Anderson has coached 95 all-conference selection for the most in the league during that span. He has also coached the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year each of the last four seasons.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished with two Sun Belt championships and six straight bowl games, but by no means are we satisfied,” Anderson stated in the release. “We have an outstanding group of players and coaches with goals we are working hard to achieve, and I couldn’t be more excited about the future of our program.”