Read on Twitter
Long Thread AlertDoc Holliday was the right coach at the right time. Under his predecessor, Marshall’s streak of 30 consecutive winning seasons ended. From 2005-2010, the Herd only won 41% of their games and qualified for a single bowl.
Holliday stabilized the program, which culminated in a 2014 C-USA championship. Over eleven seasons, he won 63% of his games. By my count, fellow members of C-USA's eastern division employed 17 permanent head coaches during Doc’s tenure at Marshall.
What got Holliday fired? The Herd failed to generate much offense without Rakeem Cato at quarterback. From 2012-2014, Cato piloted teams that finished no worse than tenth nationally in total offense. In the years since his graduation, Marshall hasn’t cracked the top-50.
It’s a shame because the other side of the ball was usually good enough to win a league championship. From 2017-2020, Marshall’s defense ranked no worse than fourth in points allowed per game among C-USA schools.
Regardless of who decided not to retain Holliday, the gauntlet was thrown. Good is no longer good enough in Huntington. That is a precarious position for an athletic department with a budget among the bottom third of C-USA. (Per USA Today -> https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances )
Similar moves have resulted in disaster. Ruffin McNeil went 30-18 against C-USA competition over six seasons at ECU. The Pirates haven’t had a winning season since his 2015 dismissal. In 2010 Ralph Friedgen was named ACC coach of the year...
but wasn’t enough for the Terps. They fired Friedgen and hired Randy Edsall, who proceeded to win ten conference games over the next five years. Maryland’s now hired three head coaches since Friedgen was cut loose.
What fate awaits the Herd? Only time will tell, but success is far from guaranteed.
