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Marshall Head Coach Doc Holliday will not return in 2021

In a somewhat surprising move, Doc Holliday announced that his contract will not be extended.

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl - Central Florida v Marshall Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Despite being named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2020, the contract of Marshall head coach Doc Holliday will not be renewed for the 2021 season. The 63-year-old West Virginia native has spent 32 years coaching in the Mountaineer state, including the last 11 at the helm of the Thundering Herd, amassing an 85-54 record with eight bowl appearances. Holliday announced the decision in a statement on Twitter Monday morning.

“I have been informed that Marshall President Dr. Jerry Gilbert will not be extending my contract as Head Football Coach at Marshall University,” said Holliday in his statement.

Under Holliday’s watch, Marshall won a C-USA title in 2014 after going 13-1 and won East division championships in 2013 and 2020. However, the team dropped its final three games after starting 7-0 and being ranked as high as 15th in the Associated Press and Coaches’ Polls.

Several current and former players have already voiced their gratitude towards Holliday on social media.

While Holliday’s tenure at Marshall was largely successful, there were reports of a potential move at head coach dating back to 2017. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice was reported to have wanted Holliday replaced with former Thundering Herd coach Bob Pruett in April of 2017.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo, the decision not to extend Holliday’s contract came from outside of the university.

However, Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert denied that outside influences played a factor.

“Just to be clear, there were no outside influences in this decision,” said Gilbert on Twitter. “I consulted with the athletic director (Mike Hamrick) and made this decision.”

The search is already underway for Holliday’s replacement.