The university announced this morning that it would not be renewing the contract of head football coach John “Doc” Holliday.
Gilbert said Athletic Director Mike Hamrick will serve as chairman of the search committee, which will ultimately recommend the successful candidate to the president. The president will then present a contract to the Board of Governors for approval.
According to Gilbert, the committee will be made up of eight to 12 members representing various constituencies of the Marshall University community.
“We have already started reaching out to potential committee representatives and look forward to moving forward very quickly,” he said. “I have great confidence that this process and the input of the entire committee will help us hire the best coach for our football program.
“Just to be clear, there were no outside influences in this decision. I consulted with the athletic director and made this decision.”
He said a number of possible candidates have already reached out to indicate interest in the position.
He added, “At Marshall, we have a storied program, loyal fans and the foundation in place to field successful teams on and off the playing field. I am encouraged by the early indications that the pool of candidates is deep and will allow us to identify and select the right person.”