Marshall’s Charles Huff is named coach at Sun Belt rival Southern Miss

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Marshall head coach Charles Huff signals from the sideline during an NCAA college football game against Louisiana Monroe, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Huntington, W.Va. (Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP, File)

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Marshall head coach Charles Huff directs his team during the first half of an NCAA college football game against James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Daniel Lin/Daily News-Record via AP)

By JOHN RABY

Marshall coach Charles Huff was hired for the same role at Southern Miss on Sunday, a day after the Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt championship game.

Huff will go from the Sun Belt’s best team to its worst. He replaces Will Hall, who was fired in October after a 1-6 start. The Golden Eagles finished the season 1-11.

“My family and I could not be any happier to begin our journey in Hattiesburg as we look to continue the rich and storied history of Southern Miss football,” Huff said in a statement released by the school. “Our goal will be to build a program that can compete at the highest level and have our fan base enjoy the ability to return to bowl games on a consistent basis.”

Marshall (10-3) won its final seven games for its first 10-win season since 2015, beating Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 in the Sun Belt title game Saturday night.

“As we started this search, we were focused on finding a dynamic leader who could get our program back to competing for championships,” Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain said in the statement. “Charles Huff has proven that he is a winner who can build a championship culture within the Sun Belt.”

Not PARSE.LY: Will Hall

Southern Miss fires Will Hall after 1-6 start in his 4th season; Reed Stringer named interim coach

Southern Miss fires Will Hall after 1-6 start in his 4th season; Reed Stringer named interim coach

Huff’s four-year contract at Marshall was up after this season and there had been no agreement on a new deal. His career record at Marshall was 32-20 and the Thundering Herd became bowl eligible in each season. The highlight was a win over 20 1/2-point favorite Notre Dame on the road in 2022, Marshall’s second-ever victory over a top-10 team. The Thundering Herd finished that season 9-4, then went 6-7 in 2023.

Huff got his first head-coaching job at Marshall in January 2021 a few weeks after he helped Alabama win the national championship over Ohio State. He spent two seasons as the Crimson Tide’s associate head coach and running backs coach. Among his other stints as an assistant were at Mississippi State and Penn State. He also spent a season in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills.

Huff, 41, was Marshall’s first Black head football coach. He is a 2005 graduate of Hampton, where he played center, guard, fullback and tight end.

Hall was fired midway through his fourth season at Southern Miss. He was 14-30 following a 44-28 home loss to Arkansas State. The Golden Eagles’ only win this season was against Southeastern Louisiana of the lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision.

Shortly after the announcement of Huff’s hiring, Marshall named N.C. State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson as his replacement.

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