ASU football coach's wife dies after cancer battle

FILE — Wendy Anderson (right) is shown in this file photo with her husband Arkansas State football coach Blake Anderson.
FILE — Wendy Anderson (right) is shown in this file photo with her husband Arkansas State football coach Blake Anderson.

Just hours after the school announced he was taking a leave of absence from the team, Arkansas State University head football coach Blake Anderson’s wife, Wendy, died late Monday night after a battle with cancer. Wendy Anderson was 49.

Blake Anderson announced the news early Tuesday on Twitter.

“My beautiful girl has gone home to be with Jesus… no more pain, no more suffering, and praise Him no more cancer,” Anderson tweeted at 5:18 a.m. “She passed as peacefully and gracefully as you could ever hope just a few minutes before midnight with me laying right beside her.

“I have been so blessed to have her by my side each day for the past 27 years. Thank you so much to all who have walked, prayed, cried, and loved her through this brutal 2 year battle… Praise Him that she hurts no more, and is in His presence now and forever.”

In the wake of the news, an outpouring of support flowed through Twitter from players, coaches, fans, politicians and others.

Arkansas State junior starting quarterback Logan Bonner dedicated the 2019 season to Wendy.

“She impacted so many lives including mine may she rest in peace with god,” Bonner tweeted. "We love you coach! This season is for her. #NotFightingAlone.”

ASU announced early Monday evening that Anderson officially stepped away from the Red Wolves to be with his wife and family. First-year defensive coordinator and linebackers coach David Duggan was named the interim head coach.

“We will continue to pray for peace for his family and provide assistance any way we can,” ASU Athletic Director Terry Mohajir said in a statement released by the school. “I will continue to be in communication with Coach Anderson both on a personal and professional level, but we will obviously respect and honor any amount of time he needs before he feels he can return.

“I have 100-percent confidence in Coach Duggan, our football coaching staff and student leadership on this team to move us forward with our academics and competition,” Mohajir said in the release. “I know there has been an outpouring of support for Coach Anderson, Wendy and their family, not only locally, but nationally. Coach Anderson has expressed how grateful his family is for all the thoughts and prayers, and we are also thankful for everyone’s support.”

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on Twitter: "The whole state shares your loss." Earlier Monday, the library at Arkansas State was illuminated pink in Wendy Anderson's honor.

Wendy Anderson was first diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2017. Later that year, she was declared cancer-free. But last fall, her cancer came back and eventually spread.

Last month at Sun Belt Media Day in New Orleans, Anderson, who’s been open about his wife’s battle, expressed that Wendy’s condition was severe.

“It’s been a long, hard summer, but she’s one of the toughest fighters I’ve ever met,” Anderson said then. “We are still knee-deep in the battle, and I would just tell you the prayers are needed more now than ever before. But we just continue to fight every day, and even my players have been inspired by just her willingness to fight and not make excuses and just battle every day.”

Anderson named Duggan as ASU’s assistant head coach less than two weeks later at the team’s formal media day in Jonesboro on Aug. 1. Anderson did it as a precaution in case he ever needed to be away from the team to be with his wife.

“I’ve kind of always wanted to make sure that we were super prepared. Pray for the best but prepare for the worst,” Anderson said then. “Dave is more than capable to step in at any point that he needed to, if I were pulled away [from] a meeting, a day, a press conference or a few days at a time. There are very real possibilities at some point through the next four months, and we just want to be prepared.”

During fall camp, Anderson had to miss two practices, including one this past Friday as the Red Wolves prepared for their second scrimmage of camp Saturday night. Senior cornerback B.J. Edmonds said after Friday’s practice there was “just a different vibe” without Anderson there.

“We can feel Coach A isn’t out here,” Edmonds said. “But it’s still the same message — come out to practice and come work. We’re still on a mission. We come out here to work for Coach A.”

Arkansas State’s season opener is Aug. 31 against SMU in Jonesboro, just 11 days away. After an off day Monday, the Red Wolves continue practice today and will have to re-group.

“It’s the same message. I’m just an extension of [Anderson’s] message, and all the coaches are an extension of his message,” Duggan said Friday. “Our message to Coach A is hey, we got this, Coach.”

Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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