Earlier this week, Marshall University head football coach "Doc" Holliday tweeted that his contract will not be renewed. Holliday has been at the helm of the Thundering Herd since the 2010 season and has coached at or above the league average in all but three seasons (the first two and 2016). It is strange that head football coach Doc Holliday will not return after the Thundering Herd's Top 15 productive ranking in terms of the Complex Invasion College Football Production model.
Here is a look at the Marshall University Thundering Herd
football program since 2008 (the
first year that I collected all the variables needed for the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model).
This time period spans the last two seasons under head coach Mark Snyder (2008-2009),
and the eleven seasons under Doc Holliday
(2010-2020). After the figure below is a more detailed look at
the Marshall Thundering Herd's football program during head coach Holliday's tenure based on the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model using data provided by www.cfbstats.com. (The vertical school color bars represent seasons where head coaches changed).
Doc Holliday [2010-2020] {
2015 contract & 2016 amendment}
2010
Marshall finished the regular season at 5-7, and bowl ineligible. The Thundering Herd
played against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS), meaning that the Thundering Herd's SOS was plus or minus one standard deviation from the league's SOS. Marshall's best
regular
season victory
was against #47 ranked Ohio (24-23) and their worst
loss was to #110 ranked Bowling Green (28-44).
Marshall was the #82 ranked team overall, with the #85 ranked
offense, and the #69 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2011 Marshall finished the regular season at 6-6, becoming bowl eligible where they
defeated #37 ranked FIU (20-10) to finish 7-6 overall. The Thundering Herd
played against a “tougher”
strength
of schedule (SOS),meaning that the Thundering Herd's SOS was between one
and two standard deviations lower than the "league" average SOS . Marshall's best
regular
season victory
was against #15 ranked Southern Mississippi (26-20) and their worst
loss was to #51 ranked Tulsa (17-59).
Marshall was the #92 ranked team overall, with the #82 ranked
offense, and the #85 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2012
Marshall finished the regular season at 5-7, and bowl ineligible. The Thundering Herd
played against an “average” strength
of schedule (SOS). Marshall's best
regular
season victory
was against #64 ranked Rice (54-51) and their worst
loss was to #106 ranked UAB (31-38). Marshall was the #67 ranked team overall, with the #30 ranked
offense, and the #112 ranked defense using the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from www.cfbstats.com.
2013 [CUSA Runner-Up]
Marshall finished the regular season at 9-3, and played in the CUSA Conference championship game, where they were defeated by #50 ranked Rice by a score of (24-41). Additionally, the Thundering Herd was bowl eligible, where
they defeated #65 ranked Maryland by a score of (31-20) to finish 10-4
overall. The Thundering Herd
played against an “easier”
strength
of schedule (SOS), meaning that the Thundering Herd's SOS was between one
and two standard deviations higher than the "league" average SOS. Marshall's
best
regular
season victory
was against #18 ranked East Carolina (59-28) and their worst
loss was to #82 ranked Ohio (31-34).
Marshall was the #8 ranked team overall, with the #8 ranked
offense and the #44 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2014 [CUSA Champion] Marshall finished the regular season at 11-1 and won the CUSA championship game over #9 Louisiana Tech (26-23), becoming CUSA champions. Additionally the Thundering Herd, were bowl eligible where they
defeated #23 ranked Northern Illinois (52-23) to finish 13-1 overall. The Thundering Herd
played against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS). Marshall's best
regular
season victory
was against #66 ranked Rice (41-14) and their only loss was to #48 ranked Western Kentucky (66-67).
Marshall was the #5 ranked team overall, with the #3 ranked
offense, and the #49 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2015
Marshall finished the regular season at 8-4, and were bowl eligible, where
they defeated #43 ranked Connecticut by a score of (16-10) to finish 9-4
overall. The Thundering Herd
played against a “much easier” strength
of schedule (SOS), meaning that Marshall's SOS was more than two standard deviations greater than the "league" SOS. Marshall's
best
regular
season victory
was against #30 ranked Southern Mississippi (31-10) and their worst
loss was to #107 ranked Kent State (26-29). Marshall was the #43 ranked team overall, with the #54 ranked
offense and the #33 ranked defense using the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from www.cfbstats.com.
2016
Marshall finished the regular season at 3-9, and were bowl ineligible. The Thundering Herd
played against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS). Marshall's best
regular
season victory
was against #48 ranked Middle Tennessee State (42-17) and their worst
loss was to #115 ranked FIU (14-31).
Marshall was the #108 ranked team overall, with the #100 ranked
offense, and the #95 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2017 Marshall finished the regular season at 7-5, and were bowl
eligible, where
they defeated #45 ranked Colorado State by a score of (31-28) to finish 8-5
overall. The Thundering Herd
played against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS). Marshall's best
regular
season victory
was against #64 ranked Miami (OH) (31-26) and their worst
loss was to #98 ranked FIU (30-41).
Marshall was the #63 ranked team overall, with the #84 ranked
offense, and the #34 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2018
Marshall finished the regular season at 8-4, and were bowl
eligible, where
they defeated #82 ranked South Florida by a score of (38-20) to finish 9-4
overall. The Thundering Herd
played against an “easier” strength
of schedule (SOS). Marshall's
best
regular
season victory
was against #43 ranked FIU (28-25) and their worst
loss was to #87 ranked Virginia Tech (20-41). Marshall was the #28 ranked team overall, with the #47 ranked
offense and the #23 ranked defense using the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from www.cfbstats.com.
2019
Marshall finished the regular season at 8-4, and were bowl eligible, where
they were defeated by #9 ranked UCF by a score of (25-48) to finish 8-5
overall. The Thundering Herd
played against an “average”
strength
of schedule (SOS). Marshall's
best
regular
season victory
was against #24 ranked Florida Atlantic (36-31) and their worst
loss was to #79 ranked Charlotte (13-24).
Marshall was the #57 ranked team overall, with the #56 ranked
offense and the #64 ranked defense using the
Complex Invasion College Football Production Model from the data provided from
www.cfbstats.com.
2020
Marshall finished the regular season at 7-2, and lost to currently ranked
#18 Buffalo (10-17) in their bowl game to finish at 7-3 overall. The Thundering Herd's best regular season win was over currently #13 ranked Appalachian State and their worst loss of the season
was to currently ranked #88 Rice. The Thundering Herd are currently the
#39 ranked offense, the #11 ranked defense and
the #12 ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Yes, this is
currently a Top 15 program and the head coach was fired.
2020 NCAA FBS Head Coaching Changes
