Just 12 months after becoming the Utah State Aggies head coach, Blake Anderson received a salary boost and contract extension following a remarkable one-year turnaround. An examination of Anderson’s salary, contract, and net worth quantifies the rewards for bringing college football success to Logan.
Blake Anderson’s Salary and Contract in 2023
After receiving a contract extension in Dec. 2021 that carries him through the 2027 season, Anderson’s salary for the 2023 campaign is $1,375,000. That figure is made up of a base salary and additional “media compensation” — consistent with most college football head coaches’ contract breakdown.
Anderson’s salary received a $325,000 boost under the terms of his new contract compared to his initial contract signed ahead of the 2021 college football campaign. It’s rare to see such a significant salary raise within such a short period of time.
However, Anderson’s achievements in the 12 months between signing his initial contract and receiving a two-year extension are also rare. No team in the history of the FBS had ever gone from being a one-win team to an 11-win team with a conference title and bowl game win in the course of just one season.
Anderson led the Aggies to their first road win at a Power Five program since 1971, while their wins over Washington State and Oregon State gave Utah State their first brace of Power Five victories during a single season in program history. Their Mountain West title in 2021 was also the first in program history.
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Announcing Anderson’s contract extension in Dec. 2021, athletic director John Hartwell praised the “positive and team-centered culture” created by the Utah State head coach and his staff while waxing lyrical about “Blake’s character, integrity, and passion” that “fuelled the success of this team.”
In addition to a boost of $300,000 that kicked in from the 2022 college football campaign, Anderson’s salary saw the year-on-year increase double from $25,000 to $50,000. As a result, the Utah State head coach will earn $375,000 more in the fifth year of his contract (2025) than he would have originally.
The former Arkansas State head coach’s success in his first year with Utah State is likely to make him attractive to other college football programs. As a result of some of the changes in his 2021 contract extension, he’s a more financially viable proposition too.
While Anderson’s salary was boosted, his buyout amount actually decreased. Any team wanting to loot Logan for the Aggies head coach now pays a set amount rather than 75% of his remaining salary. Should a team want to hire him before Dec. 31, 2023, they’ll pay $1.7 million, while that decreased to $1.2 million before Dec. 31, 2024.
Anderson’s Net Worth
After achieving such success in his first season as head coach, you could say Anderson’s net worth to Utah State is immeasurable. However, we can put a fiscal measurement on his net worth over the course of his current contract — through 2027.
In his first year as Utah State head coach, Anderson’s salary was $1,057,692. In the final year, assuming he stays in Logan and there are no further contract extensions or salary boosts, the leader of the Aggies football program will make $1,575,000.
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In total, Anderson’s net worth is $9,757,692. However, that doesn’t take into account potential bonus payments — some of which he already accrued in the first year alone. Those bonuses include:
- Winning the College Football National Championship: $100,000
- Reaching the College Football National Championship Game: $200,000
- Reaching the College Football Playoff: $200,000
- Playing in a New Year’s Six bowl game: $125,000
- Playing in any other bowl game: $75,000
- Winning the Mountain West Championship Game: $50,000
- Winning the Mountain West Mountain Division: $25,000
- Winning National Coach of the Year: $25,000
- Winning Mountain West Coach of the Year: $15,000
- Beating either BYU or Utah: $5,000
There are also financial incentives in place for off-field success, with Anderson’s salary receiving a $10,000 boost for the team maintaining a multi-year APR (Academic Progress Rate).
This bonus structure was in Anderson’s original contract, as reported by USU Stats. There is no indication that the structure changed with the 2021 contract extension. The Utah State head coach would have added $75,000 to his 2022 salary after the Aggies’ appearance in the First Responder Bowl.
