29/03/2024

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Marshall head coach Charles Huff named best choice by insider

The Virginia Tech Hokies are one of multiple schools in the mix for a new head football coach this offseason after the firing of Justin Fuente earlier in the week. While there are many names being thrown out as possibilities for the Hokies, Evan Watkins of VTScoop on the 247Sports network suggested on The College Football Daily podcast that Virginia Tech should go after Marshall head coach Charles Huff.

“(Cincinnati head coach) Luke Fickell would be the guy but that’s not realistic, so let’s get that out of the way. Personally, I like Charles Huff,” Watkins said. “I know he doesn’t have head coaching experience much. He’s only been at Marshall for, you know, half of a season or almost three quarters of a season. But the schools he’s been at, the coaches he’s coached under, the way he recruits and what Virginia Tech says they want, you know, a guy that can be a CEO-type, not a micromanager, can win over the state, can win over the fans, can win over the media and can be you know, an energetic guy to come in, you know, rejuvenate Virginia Tech football. I really like that guy.”

Huff is currently in his first season as the head coach of the Thundering Herd. After two seasons of serving as Alabama’s associate head coach and running backs coach, Huff was hired to replace Doc Holliday after his time with the school was up. Huff has hit the ground running, as Marshall is at 6-4 on the season. Sitting with six wins and more games on the schedule, Huff will take the Thundering Herd to their fifth straight bowl game this year.

But there is a concern about Huff’s inexperience. While he has time on elite staffs such as Penn State, Mississippi State and Alabama, Marshall is Huff’s first head coaching job he has ever held. Watkins pointed out why that could be a concern for Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock.

“It would definitely be dependent on putting together a staff because (Huff) is very green,” Watkins said. “But I think if it were me calling the shots, that might be the way that I go. But you know, the Virginia Tech athletic director has already made two somewhat questionable hires for football in the past with Tommy Tuberville at Cincinnati and Justin Fuente of Virginia Tech. So, a third one could be pretty rough on his career moving forward. Maybe he goes with a safer option, somebody that’s a bit more seasoned. But me, I’d go high risk high reward. I’d go after Charles Huff.”

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Huff gets the chance to prove himself more this afternoon as Marshall travels to face Charlotte. The game kicks at 3:30 p.m. ET.