12-14-24
Within the seven days following the raising of the Sun Belt Conference Trophy for the first time in school history, Marshall football has appointed Tony Gibson as the new head coach, had 36 players enter the transfer portal, and now has opted out of playing Army in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Dec. 28.
Due to this wave of players entering the portal, Marshall officials alerted bowl officials that the Herd would not be able to compete.
The players seemed to jump into the portal immediately following previous coach Charles Huff’s departure, announcing that he will be taking the head coaching job at SBC foe Southern Miss University. At a news conference on Thursday, coach Gibson said, “Any time coaches leave to take other jobs, it is emotional. And kids that are 18-to-22 years old are going to make emotional decisions instead of just breathing for a day or two.”
Not only did the Thundering Herd have the substantial amount of 36 transfer portal members by Saturday morning, but Mike Green, Marshall’s Sun Belt Player of the Year defensive end, declared for the 2025 NFL Draft Friday.
Notable players that have entered the portal include starting quarterback Braylon Braxton, quarterbacks Stone Earle and Cole Pennington, All-Sun Belt First Team linebacker Jaden Yates, All-Sun Belt Second Team running back AJ Turner, and three of the Herd’s top-seven leading receivers.
It has been announced that the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (5-7) have been chosen to replace the Thundering Herd at the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, LA, giving the Bulldogs their first bowl game appearance since 2020.
“We are excited to accept the opportunity to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl,” Ryan Ivey, the Louisiana Tech athletic director, 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.”
The historical year ends on a bit of a sour note, but Tony Gibson will now look to improve and build this Thundering Herd team for its first game of the 2025 campaign on Aug. 30 against the Georgia Bulldogs.