Marshall pulls out of Independence Bowl game against Army

On By Littum

HUNTINGTON, WV (AP) – Marshall has pulled out of the Independence Bowl after a coaching change resulted in much of its team jumping onto the transfer portal.

The Thundering Herd was scheduled to play Army on December 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But that one Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech announced Saturday that the Bulldogs will take on the 19th-ranked Black Knights instead.

Marshall said it pulled out “after falling below the minimum that was considered medically safe.”

The Herd (10-3) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 last weekend for the win Sun Belt Conference Championship for the first time. The program has won seven straight games 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 the Army bowl preseason, 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.

On 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 several meetings on Friday and Saturday.

“Any time coaches leave to take other jobs, it’s emotional,” Gibson said at a news conference Thursday. “And kids who are 18-22 years old will make emotional decisions instead of just breathing for a day or two.”

It’s the first bowl game for Louisiana Tech (5-7) since 2020. The Bulldogs have won two of their last three games, but haven’t played since a 33-0 win over Kennesaw State on Nov. 30.

“We are excited to accept the opportunity to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against a great and storied program like Army,” Louisiana Tech director of athletics Ryan Ivey said in a release. “I believe our football program is moving in the direction of positive structure, and the opportunity to play in this bowl adds to that momentum. We look forward to being in Shreveport for this game.”

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