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Marshall is 10-3 ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ” its most wins in a single season since 2015 ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ” entering the Independence Bowl on Dec. 28 against Army. That would have been the final contest of HuffÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s original four-year contract as the HerdÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s coach.

Telly Lockette, the associate head coach and running backs coach on HuffÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s staff, will serve as interim coach for the bowl game, Marshall announced later Sunday.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœMy family and I could not be any happier to begin our journey in Hattiesburg as we look to continue the rich and storied history of Southern Miss football,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� Huff said in a release. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœOur goal will be to build a program that can compete at the highest level and have our fan base enjoy the ability to return to bowl games on a consistent basis.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

Marshall athletic director Christian Spears thanked Huff and expressed his appreciation in a statement Sunday.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœNow that it has been released, coach HuffÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s decision to take the position at Southern Miss was not unexpected,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� Spears said in the release. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœWe are grateful that coach Huff and his representatives have been transparent throughout his interview processes. We are happy for him and his family and sincerely appreciate all he did to augment our football foundation to a championship level here at Marshall.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœAppropriately, we are prepared for our next steps. Being the head coach at Marshall is a unique and special opportunity, and we are extremely confident that we will bring someone exceptional to Huntington.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

Minutes later Sunday, Marshall announced that coach as North Carolina State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson.

Marshall went 32-20 under HuffÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s direction. During that time, the Herd displayed exhilarating heights ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ” a 26-21 win at Notre Dame on Sept. 10, 2022; a 24-17 victory over Virginia Tech on Sept. 23, 2023; the seven-game win streak down the stretch of this season that culminated in MarshallÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s first conference title in a decade ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ” as well as a tumultuous 6-7 2023 campaign.

Late in that season, Huff made controversial comments that the Herd had little name, image and likeness money available and fans ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœhateÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� then-Marshall quarterback Cam Fancher.

Spears released a statement after the 2023 regular-season finale, won by Marshall over Arkansas State 35-21 to ensure bowl eligibility, saying the season ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœhas not met the expectations we have for our football program.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœObviously, we all know that we have work to do,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� Spears said then. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœCoach Huff has committed to do that work and we will support the changes he has made and will continue to make. We are confident that, together, we can get back to championship-level football with coach Huff as our head coach.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

Huff said in July that talks about extending his original deal had been ongoing since 2022, sparked by the HerdÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s win in South Bend, Indiana.

He said in July that timing had played a role in why an extension had not been announced at that time, but that efforts had been made to ensure that the relationship was sustainable.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœNo, thereÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s no pressure to win a certain number of games to get a new contract, but we want to make sure we put ourselves in a good situation,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� Huff said in July. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœWeÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ve got a plan, I feel good about the plan and the fans will hear the plan sooner rather than later.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

That never happened, and both sides are moving on.

Before coming to Huntington, Huff was an assistant coach at Alabama, Mississippi State, Penn State, Maryland and Vanderbilt, as well as the Buffalo Bills.

Southern Miss went 1-11 this season, its worst in a dozen years, and failed to beat a Division I FBS opponent. The Golden Eagles, once a landmark of consistency at the Group of Five level who went to 17 bowl games in a 21-season span from 1997-2017, have qualified for one bowl in the past five years.

HuffÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s Herd beat Southern Miss 37-3 on Nov. 9 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Huff will now try to lead the Golden Eagles out of the Sun BeltÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s basement.