Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson wrote on Twitter that his wife, Wendy, has died of cancer.
FINAL WENDY UPDATE 8/20#NotFightingAlone ❤️❤️❤️ there's a celebration in heaven today cause Wendy is Home pic.twitter.com/OYwh0fQLpU
— Blake Anderson (@CHbanderson) August 20, 2019
Arkansas State announced Monday that Anderson would be taking a leave of absence from the program as his wife dealt with cancer for the second time in three years.
Wendy Anderson was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2017, and her husband took a brief leave before that season as well as she underwent treatment in Mexico. Further surgery to remove cancer cells allowed her to make a full recovery. However, the cancer returned within a year.
Blake Anderson announced in January that drug treatments had not been effective, and in July, the family was informed that her most recent rounds of chemotherapy had been unsuccessful.
The Red Wolves open their season at home on Aug. 31 against SMU. Defensive coordinator David Duggan will coach the team during Anderson's leave. Anderson has gone 39-25 over five seasons with Arkansas State.
ESPN's David M. Hale and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
