Marshall withdraws from Independence Bowl matchup against Army
Marshall University's head football coach Tony Gibson responds to questions during a press conference on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation in Huntington, W.Va. (Ryan Fischer/The Herald-Dispatch via AP)
HUNTINGTON, W.V. (AP) — Marshall has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal.
The Thundering Herd were slated to play Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech announced on Saturday that the Bulldogs will take on the 19th-ranked Black Knights instead.
Marshall said it pulled out “after falling below the roster minimum that was deemed medically safe.”
The Herd (10-3) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 last weekend to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship for the first time. The program has won seven games in a row in the same season for the first time since 2020.
“We apologize for the nature and timing of this announcement and for the turmoil it has brought to bowl season preparations for Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said in a statement.
Coach Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss last Sunday, and Tony Gibson, the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, was announced as his replacement less than an hour later.
By Thursday, at least 25 Marshall players had entered the transfer portal.
Gibson held a meeting shortly after arriving on campus in Huntington to introduce himself to the team. He followed that up with phone calls, text messages and more meetings Friday and Saturday.
“Any time coaches leave to take other jobs, it is emotional,” Gibson said at a news conference Thursday. “And kids that are 18-to-22 years old are going to make emotional decisions instead of just breathing for a day or two.”
It’s the first bowl for Louisiana Tech (5-7) since 2020. The Bulldogs have won two of their last three games, but they haven’t played since a 33-0 victory over Kennesaw State on Nov. 30.
“We are excited to accept the opportunity to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against a fantastic and storied program as Army,” Louisiana Tech athletic director Ryan Ivey said in a release. “I believe our football program is moving toward positive structure and the opportunity to play in this bowl adds to that momentum. We are looking forward to being in Shreveport for this matchup.”
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