Marshall head football coach Charles Huff is only the second HBCU graduate to be a head coach at the FBS level. The first is coaching great and College Football Hall of Famer Willie Jeffries, who more than 40 years ago was the head coach at Wichita State.
It is not lost on Huff the responsibility that he has not only to the HBCU community, but to the Black coaching community to have success at Marshall. And so far he is having just that. Prior to the game against North Carolina State (10/9/23), the Herd was 4-0 and had a nine-game winning streak dating back to last year when they finished 9-4 for the season, won the Sunbelt Conference title, and beat UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Prior to the NC State game, he has compiled a 20-10 since becoming head coach in 2021.
Huff sat down with Donal Ware to talk about the Herd program leading into the game against the Wolfpack, his thoughts on his responsibility of having success as a Black head coach, about his time as a player at Hampton University, about playing for the legendary Joe Taylor, and about how long ago he thought about becoming a head coach. This is a conversation that you want to listen to. We encourage you to share this conversation with other as well. Download or listen to the conversation
After a controversial move sent long-time coach Doc Holliday packing, the Marshall Thundering Herd needed to make a statement with its next hire.
The Herd received a hungry coach looking to prove his abilities as a head coach, and we dive into the details of Charles Huff’s salary, contract, and net worth.
Huff became one of the top recruiters in the country, but he saw a huge rise in popularity during his time at Alabama. His ability to get top talent to come to Tuscaloosa drew the attention of multiple teams, and Marshall signed him to a 4-year contract in 2021.
An interesting note is that Charles Huff signed his initial contract for the same amount that Holliday was making before the predecessor was fired. His initial salary would be at $755,500 annually, plus incentives. For comparison, Huff earned $800,000 in his last season with Alabama as the associate head coach
His initial salary was set at $350,000, but he also received $205,500 each year for weekly appearances on radio and television shows. Another $200,000 was for fundraising appearances.
In his first two seasons in Huntington, Huff’s team went a combined 16-10. He made an instant impact on the Herd’s recruiting efforts too. Marshall’s 2021 class ranked 117th according to 247Sports, and Huff’s first class in 2022 ranked 75th.
Huff’s energy brings people together, and he’s a fun personality to follow. He’s proven that he wants to win, but he also cares deeply for his players. His work through Rasheen Ali’s situation, even without the details, deserves a ton of praise. He’s a players coach, which explains his success as a recruiter and as a head coach.
Charles Huff Net Worth
There were multiple incentives in Charles Huff’s initial contract. He received $30,000 for each season that Marshall finished with a winning record. He earned another $50,000 for making a bowl appearance and also received undisclosed incentives for other aspects of the program like attendance.
If Huff manages to pull off the unthinkable and win a national championship, Marshall will pay him $1 million. Another $50,000 goes to him for increasing attendance, winning a conference championship, and earning $75,000 for making a College Football Playoff or New Year’s Six bowl game appearance.
Other perks of the job included $25,000 in moving expenses, a $6,600 membership to the Guyan Golf and Country Club, $2,000 per year for his phone, and he gets two vehicles for his use while at Marshall.
Huff received a salary pool of $1.4 million for 10 full-time assistant coaches as well.
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