NC State’s Marshall Connections

NC State enters Saturday’s game with a few close ties to the Marshall football program.

Doc Holliday

The Thundering Herd’s head coach Doc Holliday was the Wide Receiver’s Coach at NC State from 2000-04. He also served as the Associate Head Coach. Holliday groomed Koren Robinson and Jerricho Cotchery, who ended up being two of the Top-5 receivers in school history. Doc’s receivers and Philip Rivers set the single single season for Total Yards and Passing Yards in a single season in 2003. He was obviously a part of the 2002 team that won 11 games, which is also the highest mark in school history.

Holliday has been the head coach at Marshall since 2010. He has led the Thundering Herd to 5 bowl games in 8 seasons, that resulted in 5 bowl victories. In 2013, Holliday led Marshall to a 10-4 record, and to a Conference USA Conference Championship game, but The Herd lost to Rice 24-41.

The very next year, Holliday and his Marshall squad go their revenge, defeating Louisiana Tech 26-23, to claim their first ever Conference USA Championship. The Herd finished the 2014 season with a record of 13-1, which landed them at #22 on the Final Coaches Poll.

In 2015, Marshall won 10+ wins (10-3) for the third straight season under Holliday.

Last year Holliday was able to help The Herd bounce back from a down year in 2016 (3-9), finishing with an 8-5 record, and a bowl victory over Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl.

George Barlow

NC State Cornerbacks coach George Barlow played his collegiate football career at Marshall (1986-90), and even earned all-conference honors as a Safety. He still holds the record for most interceptions in a single game, taking three balls away from East Tennessee State in 1989. Barlow was a part of the Marshall team in 1987 that went to the IAA National Championship game, losing to Louisiana Monroe by one point.

After graduation, Barlow became a graduate assistant within the football program, but after one season, he became the Linebackers Coach at Marshall. He served in this role for two seasons before heading off to a slew of different positions at different schools, before landing at NC State.

Barlow was once a coach of two of NC State’s 1st three opponents in 2018, also serving as an assistant coach at James Madison from 1999-2008.