Tony Gibson, the former defensive coordinator for N.C. State, has been named the head coach at Marshall University following the departure of Charles Huff, who accepted a position at Southern Miss.
At 52, Gibson is taking on his first head coaching job in college football and returning to his home state, where he has spent two separate periods with West Virginia over the last two decades. The details of his contract have not yet been disclosed.
“We could not be happier to welcome Tony Gibson home as our 32nd head coach at Marshall University,” stated school President Brad Smith. “Coach Gibson has successfully led top national programs, but ultimately he longed to return to the mountains he calls home.”
Gibson’s hiring came quickly after Huff’s announcement as the new Southern Miss coach. Just the night before, Huff had led Marshall to a commanding 31-3 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt championship game. Under Huff’s guidance, Marshall enjoyed a prolific 10-win season, finishing with a record of 10-3 and seven straight wins.
Gibson began his coaching journey at West Virginia, serving as a defensive backs coach from 2001 to 2007 under Rich Rodriguez. He returned in 2013 to coach the safeties under Dana Holgorsen and was elevated to defensive coordinator in 2014, a position he held until Holgorsen’s departure at the end of the 2018 season. Before that, he spent six seasons at N.C. State and also held coaching roles at Pitt, Michigan, and Arizona.
This past season at N.C. State, the defense encountered challenges, ranking near the bottom of the ACC by allowing an average of 30.5 points and 385 yards per game. Gibson’s defense had its best season in 2022, tying with Louisville for the fewest points allowed in the league, averaging only 19.2 points per game and ranking second in yards allowed with 327.
In a social media post directed at the N.C. State community, Gibson said, “My family and I are excited to start this journey, and we truly appreciate your support and the wonderful memories.”
Hailing from Van, West Virginia, Gibson graduated from Glenville State in 1994, where he played as a defensive back.
“We have hired a proven coach who is eager to be at Marshall and committed to maintaining the success we’ve come to expect,” commented athletic director Christian Spears. “We can’t wait to begin working with him and his staff.”
In the meantime, Marshall’s associate head coach, Telly Lockette, will lead the team in the Independence Bowl against No. 19 Army (11-1) on December 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. One of Gibson’s key tasks will be to rebuild Marshall’s roster, as the Thundering Herd signed only 11 recruits during the recent early signing period.
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