The controversial decision to not renew the contract of head coach Doc Holliday came down in the early days of January, and the search appears to be clearing up at about the month's midpoint now.
According to a report from WV Sports Now, three finalists have emerged during the search, all of whom we shared a bit about a few days ago in a piece on some of the candidates involved in the process.
The piece from WV Sports Now notes that the three candidates are current defensive coordinator and former Charlotte head coach Brad Lambert, Alabama associate head coach / running backs coach Charles Huff, and Louisville offensive coordinator / offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford.
Bruce Feldman is now reporting the same.
Those are three really strong candidates to take over a job that is well positioned among the Group of Five, thanks to the work the past 11 seasons from Doc and his staff.
Lambert was a Broyles Award nominee this past season and would provide some continuity for the program. His defense had an outsanding season, leading the country in scoring defense, allowing just 13 points per game, and also ranked 4th in rush defense and 11th in pass defense as well. At 55, he would be the oldest of the three finalists and he went 22-48 over six seasons at Charlotte as the team transitioned from FCS to C-USA after year two. He was let go after the 2018 season and landed on Doc's staff for the 2019 season.
As we laid out previously, Huff's coaching journey has some interesting parallels with Holliday's. Both guys served as assistant head coaches at a few stops and recruiting coordinators along the way learning under some of the game’s top minds. However, neither previously served as a primary play offensive or defensive play caller during those stops. Both also saw their head coaching stock rise after a national title.
Ledford's tie in with the job is that he played his college ball at East Carolina in the 90's when current Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick was the AD at ECU. Ledford has done an impressive job with the offense at Louisville and has coached the offensive lines at Appalachian State and NC State and held the co-coordinator title at App State as well.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.