ASU coach takes leave of absence to care for ailing wife.

Arkansas State University Coach Blake Anderson is taking a leave of absence from the team, the school announced Monday evening.

Anderson is stepping away from the Red Wolves to be with his wife, Wendy, who’s been battling breast cancer since April 2017. Multiple sources told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that Wendy Anderson is in hospice care.

ASU defensive coordinator and linebackers coach David Duggan will be the Red Wolves’ interim head coach.

“We will continue to pray for peace for [Anderson’s] 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.”

Anderson, who’s been very open about his wife’s health issues, had said last month at Sun Belt media day in New Orleans 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.”

Less than two weeks later, on Aug 1., Anderson officially appointed Duggan as the team’s assistant head coach during ASU’s formal media day in Jonesboro. Anderson, who’s in his sixth year at ASU, made the decision as a precaution in case he needed to leave 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 on Aug. 1. “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.”

Anderson missed two practices during fall camp, according to a team spokesman, the most recent one coming Friday when he was with his wife. Anderson, though, was back with the team Saturday for the Red Wolves’ second scrimmage of camp at Centennial Bank Stadium.

Duggan, who’s in his first year with the program, said after Friday’s practice that the team had been prepared for days like that where Anderson needed to step away from the team.

“We’ve been discussing this since the summer time. We knew there was a possibility that he might miss a day or two here just to be with Wendy when she struggles,” Duggan said. “Our team’s ready for it and we’re just moving forward with the process.

“One good thing about Blake and I is we share the same values. It’s the same message. I’m just an extension of his message, and all the coaches are an extension of his message.”

Junior quarterback Logan Bonner echoed that sentiment.

“We try to do our best for Coach A. Our job is to be on time, have a great practice and know our assignment,” Bonner said. “What he’s going through is way worse than anything we’re going through, any injury or anything like that. We just try to focus on our job.

“Coach A shouldn’t worry about us right now. It’s the last thing he should be worrying about. We’re praying for him every day.”

The Red Wolves open the season Aug. 31 against SMU in Jonesboro. ASU was picked to finish second in the Sun Belt West division in the preseason coaches poll.

“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.”