NEW ORLEANS òòò½ÊÓƵ” Entering the final year of his initial four-year contract as Marshallòòò½ÊÓƵ™s football coach, Charles Huff said talks about his future with the team have been ongoing since early 2022.
Huff signed a four-year agreement ahead of the 2021 season, and over the past three years, the Thundering Herd is 22-17 under his direction.
But one of those wins stood above the rest and sparked contract extension talks, Huff said at Sun Belt Conference football media days on Tuesday.
òòò½ÊÓƵœWeòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve had conversations. Weòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve been talking, really, since the Notre Dame game, if weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re being honest, about what it looks like,òòò½ÊÓƵ Huff said of the Herdòòò½ÊÓƵ™s 26-21 win in South Bend, Indiana, on Sept. 10, 2022. òòò½ÊÓƵœThere is a plan in-house. We have not announced that plan, but weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re not sitting here waiting to say, òòò½ÊÓƵ˜OK, if you donòòò½ÊÓƵ™t win the championship, then youòòò½ÊÓƵ™re gone.òòò½ÊÓƵ™òòò½ÊÓƵ
The victory over Notre Dame started the talks, which continued throughout the season and then picked up more steam after the Herd defeated Virginia Tech. 24-17, on Sept. 23, 2023.
Huff said timing has played a role in the lack of any contract announcement, but that Huff and Marshallòòò½ÊÓƵ™s administration have each been working diligently to make sure both parties benefit from a new deal, if it comes to fruition.
The Herd went 7-6 in Huffòòò½ÊÓƵ™s first season, capped by a loss in the New Orleans Bowl, before turning around and going 9-5 with a victory in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in 2022. Marshall was 6-7 in 2023, Huffòòò½ÊÓƵ™s first losing season as coach.
òòò½ÊÓƵœThereòòò½ÊÓƵ™s timing and things that come with that, and weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re trying to be creative with what we want to do, the administration and myself,òòò½ÊÓƵ Huff said. òòò½ÊÓƵœWe donòòò½ÊÓƵ™t know what college football is going to look like in four years, three years or two years. Weòòò½ÊÓƵ™re trying to make sure we put both Marshall and myself in a really good situation so that itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s sustainable.òòò½ÊÓƵ
òòò½ÊÓƵœItòòò½ÊÓƵ™s not about just money for me,òòò½ÊÓƵ Huff continued. òòò½ÊÓƵœThere are things in the program that weòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve got to put in place to make sure we are sustainable and competitive in the conference. Some of those things take time to research.òòò½ÊÓƵ
Huff said he doesnòòò½ÊÓƵ™t feel as if 2024 will sway his future at Marshall and thereòòò½ÊÓƵ™s a reasonable expectation that he returns on a new contract in 2025, based on undisclosed conversations heòòò½ÊÓƵ™s had with Herd athletic director Christian Spears and university president Brad Smith.
òòò½ÊÓƵœNo, thereòòò½ÊÓƵ™s no pressure to win a certain number of games to get a new contract, but we want to make sure we put ourselves in a good situation,òòò½ÊÓƵ Huff said. òòò½ÊÓƵœWeòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve got a plan, I feel good about the plan, and the fans will hear the plan sooner rather than later.òòò½ÊÓƵœ
Luke Creasy is a reporter for The Herald-Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @LukeCreasy or reach him by phone at 304-526-2800.
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