Tony Gibson Makes Bold Claim: Marshall Will ‘Dominate State’ in Recruiting
The former WVU defensive coordinator delivers a strong message.
The West Virginia-Marshall “rivalry” has long been one-sided, with the Mountaineers winning all twelve matchups, often in dominant fashion. This history plays a big role in why the Friends of Coal Bowl doesn’t generate much attention outside of Huntington.
Despite this, Marshall consistently takes shots at the flagship university whenever possible.
This offseason, the Herd hired Tony Gibson, a native of Van, West Virginia, and former WVU defensive coordinator (2014-18), as their new head coach. He hasn’t held back, even making some bold remarks about recruiting.
“Seven of our eleven full-time coaches have ties to either West Virginia or Marshall University. The first time we were able to hit the road after the dead period change was in January, and we visited every school in every one of the stateโs 55 counties with football programs. We did run into a snowstorm, so some visits were phone calls or meeting in restaurants, but weโre going to take over this state. Weโre not letting the top players leave, or go to that school up north, if I have anything to say about it. I promise you that.”
While only a few Division I players come from West Virginia each year, many are more likely to opt for the larger programs over smaller conferences like the Sun Belt. Gibson and the Herd may sign more local talent, but it will still be a challenge for them to out-recruit the Mountaineers for the top-rated players in the state.
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