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Last week, Marshall University announced it would not renew Athletic Director Christian Spears’ contract, ending his tenure roughly a year ahead of its original end date. The search for his replacement is set to begin immediately, with Spears remaining in the role through the transition.
Spears was hired in February 2022 by current President Brad D. Smith. His contract, running from July 1, 2023, through March 2026, came with a base salary of $315,000, the third lowest among the 14 Sun Belt schools, ahead of only UL Monroe and Troy. Despite this, Marshall’s athletic department operates with a $48.96 million budget—the fifth highest in the conference. This financial stability positions the program as a competitive landing spot for potential candidates.
Marshall made headlines with its new head football coach, Tony Gibson, who signed a $1,000,000 contract—a substantial increase from former coach Charles Huff’s $755,000 base. This move propelled Marshall from a bottom-four salary in the Sun Belt to a top-five spot, which is telling in terms of commitment from Marshall’s campus administration.
Huff’s departure was as surprising as it was controversial.
After leading the Thundering Herd to a dominant 31–3 victory in the Sun Belt Conference Championship, he did not receive a contract extension from Spears. Just weeks later, Huff accepted the head coaching position at Southern Miss, a team that had finished last in the conference with a 1–11 record. The move raised several questions about internal discord and Marshall’s decision-making regarding its championship-winning coach.
(FWIW, both Marshall and Southern Miss have the same odds to win the national championship next year!)
On the basketball side, Dan D’Antoni, formerly the oldest coach in Division I at 76, stepped down, or was potentially forced out, paving the way for assistant Cornelius Jackson. Jackson’s $350,000 annual contract places him in the bottom quarter of conference salaries. For comparison, D’Antoni’s base was $200,000, plus an additional $200,000 for media appearances. It’s unclear if Jackson’s deal includes a similar structure, but reports suggest it may have been consolidated into a single contract.
Meanwhile, Women’s Basketball coach Juli Fulks, hired through 2031, earns $215,000 annually, ranking fifth in the Sun Belt. Coming off a first-year record of 15-20 (6-12), she tied for 11th in the conference.
During his tenure, Spears oversaw the fundraising and construction of Jack Cook Field, a new baseball stadium that opened in March 2024.
His notable coaching hires included:
- Men’s Basketball: Cornelius Jackson
- Women’s Basketball: Juli Fulks and Kim Caldwell
- Baseball: Greg Beals
- Women’s Soccer: Rafa Simoes
- Softball: Morgan Zerkle
Caldwell’s first season was especially impressive, leading the women’s basketball team to a 26–7 (17–1) record and an NCAA Tournament appearance before departing to take over the Tennessee Lady Vols program. This was by far the best Spears hire in his tenure.
So what about the other facilities?
Home to Marshall Football, Joan C. Edwards Stadium seats just over 38,000. In April 2023, the university demolished the South Endzone seating to make way for a new videoboard and concourse area, completed ahead of the Fall 2023 season. Outside of field surface updates, the last major renovation to the stadium occurred in 2013, with the addition of four new skyboxes.
The Cam Henderson Center, opened in 1981, is home to several of Marshall’s indoor athletic teams. Originally designed to seat 14,000, budget cuts reduced its capacity to 10,250. Today, it holds just over 5,000. Its last major renovation came before 2000 with a $5 million investment, leaving it as one of the more dated facilities in the Sun Belt.
A recent proposal to increase student fees was rejected by the Student Government Association (SGA). Spears proposed a $6 per credit hour increase to fund athletic facility maintenance, even offering SGA a share of rental income as part of the deal. Reflecting on the failed proposal, Spears admitted, “We did not explain it well, and, for that, we are sincerely sorry.”
Despite the leadership transition, the next athletic director will inherit stability in the three major sports:
- Football: Tony Gibson is signed through the early 2030s.
- Women’s Basketball: Juli Fulks is under contract until 2031.
- Men’s Basketball: Cornelius Jackson’s deal runs through April 30, 2027.
While this stability could be seen as positive, it also limits the opportunity for a new AD to “bring in their own” hires.
Huntington, WV, is the second-most populous city in the state. Despite often playing second fiddle to West Virginia University in Morgantown, Marshall is a public R2 research institution with strong athletic support. The football program has been bowl-eligible under Spears’ leadership all three years, and the athletic department’s budget remains competitive.
What Others Are Saying:
“It’s Marshall, that should say enough about them. I think their problems happen everywhere, but for some reason, they get blown up when it happens in Huntington.” — Deputy AD at a G5 school
“Something still smells funny from what happened with football.” — Sitting FCS AD
“Supportive community, but a lot of political oversight that I think holds them back from keeping everybody on the same page.” — Power 4 Sr. Associate AD
“A lot of debt that I think they have to pay the university back.” – Power 4 Sr. Associate AD
The next athletic director will be tasked with maintaining momentum in core sports, stabilizing budgets, and navigating the political landscape of Huntington. Speculation suggests candidates with ties to the school may be prioritized for their familiarity with Marshall’s unique challenges.
I haven’t seen exact numbers, but the word “debt” was used often when speaking to industry personnel. Additionally, a search firm will run point on this and is expected to be public by the end of the week. Political acumen and relationship-building skills are expected to be critical in the selection process.
