‘We have to be accountable’: USU athletic director stands by firings, promises change
Jul 26, 2024, 6:14 PM | Updated: 6:48 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — In the wake of several high-profile firings at Utah State University — including head football coach Blake Anderson — the college’s athletic director says USU is committed to properly investigating assault allegations and holding people accountable.
Asked whether the university can be trusted to handle these cases properly, Diana Sabau said yes.
“I have full commitment and faith in our university leadership, our board of trustees, that we are changing the culture,” said Sabau, athletic director and vice president at USU.
Since 2016, the university has been under a microscope for how it has handled assault allegations. Since then, it has made sweeping changes to policy, procedure, and intervention with oversight from the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a one-on-one interview Friday, Sabau addressed the recent firings of three athletic staff, including head football coach Blake Anderson.
Sabau told KSL that the firings are the result of an independent investigation that found mistakes were made, and the university stands by its decision.
“We have to be accountable, and we have to be transparent, and if there was not going to be action taken on this, what does that mean for USU’s future.”
The outside review commissioned by the university found Anderson did not properly report an assault allegation involving a former player to the school’s Title IX office and instead investigated the report himself – even contacting the victim. Anderson has previously said he believed he handled it appropriately and was trying to determine if he needed to suspend the player.
It’s still not clear if Anderson will receive the millions stated in his contract buyout. His attorney has said he will pursue legal action against the school.
Sabau said there is no gray area when it comes to what coaches and staff are supposed to do.
The university has worked extensively with the DOJ since 2017, she said, to make sure staff is properly trained and when those protocols aren’t followed there must be consequences.
“I don’t know if there is an athletics director in the country, especially in their first year, that would want to remove the football coach and have employment actions in July. The timing is not ideal. But we have to create a culture of transparency and accountability,” she said.
Sabau said the DOJ has extended its commitment with the university for another year, meaning it will remain on campus to ensure all policy and procedures for the Title IX office are being followed and assault allegations are properly handled.
“We are willing to make the tough decisions so that it doesn’t keep happening, that we’re not tolerating when it does happen,” Sabau said.