Football season is just now getting underway, but Southern Miss head coach Blake Anderson drew a lot of attention before his players ever hit the gridiron Saturday.
Ahead of kickoff, Anderson wore a black long-sleeve shirt with the words “Christ Is King” emblazoned in yellow letters across the chest as he and the University of Southern Mississippi team performed took part in the “Eagle Walk” to the stadium.
The team went on to win an impressive 49-3 victory against Alcorn State University.
“I’ve had a bunch of people comment, and I’m pleased that it was noticed,” Anderson said during his weekly press conference. “I mean, the whole point of wearing it was for Christ to be glorified and it to be noticed.”
“I’m super grateful for my bosses that allowed me to be religious [and] use my platform to share my faith,” he continued. “[That is] not probably an easy decision for an AD and a president. But, you know, those are my views. That’s just me trying to use my platform.”
Anderson went on to say he is “saved by grace” and credited God with his success as a coach.
While bold public stances like his often garner criticism, the head football coach said he is thankful the responses online have been overwhelmingly positive.
“You never know what kind of response you’re going to get,” he admitted. “It’s been 99% positive and a few negative, which is what I expected. I wasn’t completely aware of just where it would go.”
He added, “In my opinion, if it makes one person think, then it was worth it.”
Anderson has been vocal about his faith for several years, even through incredible tragedies.
His wife, Wendy, died of breast cancer in 2019, followed soon after by the passing of his father. Anderson’s son, Cason, took his life in 2022, and the coach’s brother, Bryan, died in 2024, following a lengthy battle with aggressive colon cancer.
One of Anderson’s close friends, Larry Fedora, said he “wouldn’t have been able to survive if he didn’t have such a strong faith.”
In 2020, when he was the head coach of Utah State, Anderson told local reporters, “I’m a Christian before I’m anything else. I love the Lord and I feel like God put me in coaching.”
And in an interview five years later with Football Scoop, he said, “My faith comes from Christ, not from me. I’m not tough enough, I’m not big enough to do this on my own.”
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