Former Hampton assistant turned head coach leads Marshall in upset at Notre Dame

On a Saturday of surprising outcomes across college football, an FBS coach with HBCU roots was at the epicenter of a big-time upset.

A decided underdog, Marshall — led by second-year head coach Charles Huff– shocked No. 8 Notre Dame 26-21 at Notre Dame Stadium.

“We talked about the difference in this game was our collective best was better than their individual best,” Huff said after the game.

Despite Marshall being a Sun Belt member, the group — with 24 new players from a year ago, including several from Power 5 schools — were not intimidated by the Irish.

“We’ve got three guys from Florida State, they all played Notre Dame last year,” Huff told ESPN on Sunday. “The team wasn’t as caught up in the gold helmets as it was, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity to play a good team, and we’ve got to play really well.’ Where college football is now, the intimidation factor probably goes out the window.”

If Huff’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he was once captain of the Hampton football team. As a Pirates player, he started 12 games at center and also played fullback offensive guard and tight end.

After leaving Hampton following a stint as offensive line coach, Huff had coaching stops at Penn State, Vanderbilt, Buffalo Bills, and Alabama.

Another HBCU coach will soon have the chance to knock off Notre Dame when Tennessee State — led by Eddie George — plays at Notre Dame Stadium in 2023.