Utah State coaching job: Top 5 potential Blake Anderson replacements for the Aggies ft. Nate Dreiling

The Utah State Aggies have reportedly put coach Blake Anderson on administrative leave, and he is unlikely to return to the role. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the news Tuesday afternoon, adding defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling will be named interim coach. Anderson had success on the field as he was 23-17 in his three seasons, including winning the Mountain West Conference in 2021.

With a change in the program, who will be replacing him as the new coach of the Aggies? Let's take a look at some of the potential replacements in Utah State.

Blake Anderson replacements for Utah State Aggies

#1 Nate Dreiling

This would make the most sense for the Utah State Aggies, as he is the team's defensive coordinator and has already been named the interim coach. This is his first year with the Aggies, but he has some experience climbing the ranks of the coaching charts for multiple programs ahead of this role.

As an associate head coach before, this is a chance for Dreiling to establish his type of team right off the bat. This gives a bit of an improvement over last year's coaching staff while also giving him the chance to move in a different direction overall as he never coached for Utah State.

#2 Jimbo Fisher

While this would be very unlikely, there is a possibility that Jimbo Fisher coaches at a Group of Five school and tries to improve his reputation as a winning football coach after being fired by Texas A&M.

He has never missed a full season of college football as a coach since becoming a graduate assistant in 1988 for the Samford Bulldogs. He won the 2014 BCS national championship with the Florida State Seminoles and holds a 128-48 overall record. But this could help get him back into a Power Four conference position.

While Utah State may look like a demotion of sorts compared to schools he coached at before, this is the chance to keep Fisher in the game next season and just show what he is capable of.

#3 Dana Holgorsen

Dana Holgorsen was fired last season as coach of the Houston Cougars, whom he led from 2019 to 2023. However, he has done well throughout his collegiate career, as he went 92-69, including one Big East Conference championship. He went 12-2 in 2021 and 8-5 in 2022, so he can do well at building a competitive roster.

The money figure would not be too high either, as he is still without a job and an offensive-minded coach can help the Aggies in the Mountain West. The team showcased an ability to dominate offensively and could unlock the next level with a strong head coach like Dana Holgorsen.

#4 Terry Bowden

Terry Bowden is an experienced coach and has shown the ability to dominate, as he has a 185-140-2 career head coaching record. He was the coach of the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in 2023 before being fired after three seasons.

Bowden is not considered a great coach, without a winning season since 2015, but this would give a bit of a sense of stability and experience for Utah State. Coaching more than 300 total games, there is not much that he will not have seen before throughout his extensive career.

#5 Anthony Tucker

Anthony Tucker is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Utah State Aggies and could be another candidate to replace Blake Anderson. He has coached for 12 seasons and was part of the Aggies last season, so there is a small sense of familiarity for the current players as well.

With the ability of an offensive-minded coach who has been part of successful programs like the UCF Knights and the Arkansas State Red Wolves, this could benefit Utah State throughout the future. He has worked with the quarterbacks before and has a relationship with them, so this should give him a giant leg up among the other candidates.