Charles Huff Jr. is an American football coach who was born on April 26, 1983. Since the 2021 season, he has served as Marshall University’s head football coach. He was the University of Alabama’s running backs coach and associate head coach before joining Marshall. Having served as a coach at Penn State and Mississippi State, he has established himself as one of college football’s best recruiters.
Play Career
Huff was a walk-on fullback when he joined the Hampton University football team. Before being named the main center, he played guard and tight end in addition to fullback. In addition to becoming the starting center during his senior year, he was chosen a team captain.
Coaching career
Huff played for Hampton University and was hired by Tennessee State in 2006 as an assistant coach, reporting to Tigers offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss. In addition to taking on football operations responsibilities, he was designated the tight ends and special teams coach in 2007.
In 2009, he moved to become an assistant offensive line coach for the coaching staff at Maryland. In 2010, he returned to his alma mater, Hampton, to take on the roles of offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Under the direction of first-year Commodores head coach and former Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin, he worked as an offensive quality control coach at Vanderbilt University in 2011.
Before joining the Western Michigan coaching staff in 2013 as the running backs coach under first-year head coach P. J. Fleck, he worked as an assistant running backs coach under head coach Chan Gailey for the Buffalo Bills in 2012.
Penn State
In 2014, Huff rejoined James Franklin, the offensive coordinator at Maryland during Huff’s tenure as assistant offensive line coach, when he was hired Penn State’s running backs coach and special teams coordinator.[5] He was instrumental in the recruiting and growth of Penn State’s most successful running back in history, Saquon Barkley, who went on to become a consensus All-American and the 2× Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
Mississippi State
In 2018, Huff became the first member of the Mississippi State coaching staff under head coach Joe Moorhead, a former offensive coordinator at Penn State. Their running backs ran the ball 253 times in his one and only season at Starkville, and they did not lose a fumble once.[8]
Alabama
In 2019, Huff was appointed running backs coach and associate head coach at Alabama.[9]
Marshall
In 2021, Huff took Doc Holliday’s post as head coach at Marshall University.[10] On September 10, 2022, Huff led Marshall to a 26–21 victory over the No. 8-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish at South Bend, Indiana, marking their second-ever victory over a team ranked in the top 10. In the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl, Huff’s first bowl victory as head coach came against the UConn Huskies, 28–14.
On January 17, 2021, Marshall’s head football coach Charles Huff was appointed. Huff’s track record as a top talent developer and recruiter supported head coach Nick Saban’s staff in 2019 and 2020.
Huff finished his third season with a 22-17 record overall at Marshall. Following Marshall’s 2022 season, he guided the Thundering Herd to three consecutive bowl appearances and the Myrtle Beach Bowl victory.
Huff finished his third season with a 22-17 record overall at Marshall. Following Marshall’s 2022 season, he guided the Thundering Herd to three consecutive bowl appearances and the Myrtle Beach Bowl victory.