Arkansas State Coach Blake Anderson's Wife Wendy Dies at Age 49

Arkansas State head football coach Blake Anderson announced Tuesday on Twitter that his wife, Wendy Anderson, died Monday night at the age of 49:

According to Chris Bumbaca of USA Today, Wendy Anderson was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. She went into remission, but it returned last year and she did not respond to treatment.

Arkansas State had announced Monday that Blake Anderson was taking a leave of absence from the program to be with his ailing wife.

In Anderson's place, assistant head coach and defensive coordinator David Duggan is serving as the Red Wolves' interim head coach.

The 50-year-old Anderson has been the head coach at Arkansas State since 2014 and has led the Red Wolves to a winning record in each of his five seasons at the helm. It isn't yet known if he will be on the sidelines when Arkansas State opens its season against SMU on Aug. 31.

Blake Anderson noted that he and Wendy were together for 27 years. Wendy is survived by her husband, as well as the couple's three children, Coleton, Callie and Cason.