Southern Miss announced on Thursday the promotion of interim coach Blake Anderson to the position of head coach. Anderson took over the interim role after Charles Huff left to become the head coach at Memphis.

Anderson spent the 2025 season as the Golden Eagles’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, marking his return to the program after previously serving as an assistant from 2008 to 2011.

His appointment is significant as it marks his first head coaching role since being fired by Utah State for cause before the 2024 season. Under his previous coaching experiences, he managed successful tenures at both Arkansas State and Utah State, where he accumulated a 74-53 record with nine bowl appearances over ten years.

“We are thrilled to announce Blake Anderson as the next leader of our football program,” stated Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain. “He brings a wealth of experience and a solid history as a successful head coach with multiple conference championships in the Sun Belt, a Mountain West championship, and nine bowl appearances. His exceptional leadership and communication skills, along with the respect he commands from players and staff alike, will be invaluable as we support him in continuing to build on the positive momentum of our program.”

Anderson’s coaching career, which began in 1992, spans multiple positions across the Group of Five levels. He also had tenure as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina from 2012 to 2013.

The pinnacle of Anderson’s coaching achievements came in 2021 when he led Utah State to a Mountain West title and a victory over Oregon State in the LA Bowl, which capped a record-matching 11-win season for the Aggies.