A Sit Down With “The Godfather” of Marshall Football… Coach Tony Gibson

A new era of Marshall football has arrived, and the excitement in Huntington is unlike anything we’ve seen before. There’s no doubt—the Herd have found their leader for the foreseeable future.

Tony Gibson embodies everything you’d want in a Marshall head football coach. A native of West Virginia, he understands the grit, toughness, and mindset of the people here. His passion for the program and his desire to be at Marshall make him the perfect fit.

With the spring game just weeks away, I reached out to Coach Gibson to answer some questions about this upcoming season, and he so graciously agreed.

With that said, here’s how our conversation went:

What made you want to get into coaching? Who are some people in your life who influenced your decision to become a football coach?

Coach Gibson: “Coaches were a big part of my life, and I wanted to give back to the game that has given so much to me and my family.

Eddie Hendricks, Steve Bradley (high school coaches), Dean Hood, and Rich Rodriguez (college coaches).”

You’ve coached under some legendary names, including Rich Rodriguez, Dana Holgorsen, and Dave Doeren. What are some key lessons you’ve learned from working with these coaches?

Coach Gibson: “I have learned so much from many great coaches, each with different roles—some as head coaches, others as position coaches. Coaches like Dana and Dave were not micromanagers; they trusted their staff, allowing us to do our jobs while providing support. On the other hand, I have worked with coaches who were much more involved in every aspect of the program. From these experiences, I have gained valuable insights—some I will implement in our program, and others I will choose not to. One common trait among all of them is that they win and have achieved success. There are many different ways to run a program, and my goal is to take the best aspects from every team I have been a part of to build a successful program of our own.”

Now that you’re the one holding the whistle, what can we expect from a Tony Gibson-led football team? What will the offensive playing style be like? You’re known as a guru of the 3-3-5 defensive scheme—will we see that in Huntington? And what will your program’s foundational values be moving forward?

Coach Gibson: “What you should expect from our program is a team that cares about each other and plays hard for one another. I want my team to care about our community, respect the program’s history, and honor the past through our style of play.

We will be physical on both sides of the ball—I want to build a team that nobody wants to play. Our offense will be up-tempo and exciting to watch, while our defense will be aggressive. My goal is to shape our offensive, defensive, and special teams philosophies into something uniquely Marshall’s.

In this profession, you have to learn and evolve every day. We’ll take the good and bad from past experiences and grow from them.”

Your staff is now complete, and you’ve kept your word from your introductory press conference. Several coaches have strong ties to Marshall or the state of West Virginia. How quickly did you assemble your staff after accepting the job?

Coach Gibson: “I put my staff together quickly and had a lot of pieces in place when I was hired. It was important to me to bring in guys who care about Marshall and West Virginia. We had everyone on board before January 5th.”

Your life has been a whirlwind with moving and recruiting, but how does it feel to be back home? How are you liking Huntington? Have you found any good restaurants or entertainment spots?

Coach Gibson: “There are a lot of great restaurants in Huntington that my staff and I have enjoyed (I think we’ve all gained some weight!). The people here have been incredibly welcoming, and we’re excited to be part of this community.”

Herd Nation is thrilled to have you as our coach. There’s a buzz in the community that has been missing for years. You already have strong fan support without even coaching a game. With that in mind, what are some ways fans can best support you, your team, and the program moving forward?

Coach Gibson: “The best way fans can support the program is by showing up to games and supporting the players. I can’t wait to take the field with this team in front of a sold-out crowd. It all starts on April 12th with the spring game—I’m hoping for 10,000+ fans to get the first look at the 2025 team.”

In past years, there was a noticeable lack of transparency between the coaching staff and the fanbase. Fans had little insight into injuries, position battles, or key decisions, which created a disconnect. How transparent do you plan to be to keep fans informed about the team they love?

Coach Gibson: “We will communicate and be transparent with the fanbase. However, I won’t discuss injuries unless they are season-ending—I don’t want to give our opponents any unnecessary information before we play them.”

We all heard your quote from your introductory press conference about the Coal Bowl. What are your thoughts on the game? Do you think we will ever see it return?

Coach Gibson: “We need to play this game every year. Keeping the money in-state and supporting both universities just makes sense. I don’t understand why we wouldn’t play it. WVU is going on the road to Ohio University, and we’re traveling to Georgia. I think it would be great to open every season with this rivalry.”

The takeaway here is simple: Marshall football is in excellent shape with a coach who has stated his desire to finish his career here. A few months ago, there were many questions surrounding this program, but each day, it becomes more evident—Marshall isn’t just in good hands; it’s looking like it’s in the best hands it’s ever been in.

April 12th is right around the corner. Let’s pack The Joan and make Tony Gibson’s first spring game an unforgettable one!

As always, Go Herd!

Headset out…