Southern Miss has officially lifted the interim tag from offensive coordinator Blake Anderson ahead of the Golden Eagles’ first bowl game in three years.
Anderson’s hiring as the permanent head coach comes after former Southern Miss frontman Charles Huff left Hattiesburg for the same position at Memphis. Though Anderson was not initially named the football program’s head honcho — like Pete Golding was at Ole Miss following an unprecedented departure by Lane Kiffin — Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain ultimately landed on him as the top candidate to lead the Golden Eagles beyond the upcoming postseason matchup.
On Monday, Anderson was named the team’s interim as a search was conducted to determine who would receive the permanent title. It didn’t take long for the offensive-minded coach to be elevated, as the official announcement of his promotion came three days following word getting out that he would be filling Huff’s shoes on the sidelines in the upcoming New Orleans Bowl. Anderson, per a source, was actively pursuing the head coaching position at Southern Miss prior to earning the job.
“We are excited to announce Blake Anderson as the next leader of our football program. He brings a wealth of experience and a ten-year run as a successful head coach, including multiple conference championships in the Sun Belt, a Mountain West conference championship, and nine bowl appearances,” McClain said.
“Blake is an exceptional leader, a great communicator, and has the respect of the players and the staff throughout the Duff Center. We look forward to supporting him at the highest level and continuing the positive momentum for our program.”
As a player, Anderson was a two-year letterwinner at wide receiver for Sam Houston State from 1990-91, where he was named Southland Conference all-academic as a senior. He also played for two years as a quarterback and wideout at Baylor (1988-89) before transferring. 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.
During his 30 year career that has included six conference championships, 14 bowl games and a national championship on the junior college level, Anderson has spent 10 successful seasons as a Division I head coach with stops at Arkansas State (2014-20) and Utah State (2021-23), registering a 74-54 (.578) overall head coaching record, including a 53-27 (.663) conference mark, which included nine bowl games and three conference titles.
A familiar face to Southern Miss, Anderson rejoined the program in 2025, but had his first stint in Hattiesburg under Larry Fedora’s guidance from 2008-11. During the current campaign, Anderson’s efforts helped the Golden Eagles make a six-game turnaround that included a five-game winning streak. His passing offense ranked No. 1 in the Sun Belt Conference, and the team was No. 5 in scoring.
Southern Miss will return to the gridiron on Dec. 23 in the New Orleans Bowl, taking on former conference foe Western Kentucky. The postseason battle will kick off from Caesars Superdome at 4:30 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN.