Charles Huff didn’t spend a lot of time in Tuscaloosa, but his time on Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s coaching staff the previous two seasons helped prepare him for his new position as head football coach at Marshall.
Huff, who was announced as Marshall’s new football coach on Wednesday, spoke about the many things he learned from Saban, per Garrett Stepien of 247Sports.
“Well, I think one of the many things — we could have a seven-hour press conference, and we’d probably only get through the first thing I learned,” Huff said.
“But I think what I’ve learned is the ability to sustain success, and the ability to sustain success is through consistency and approach, consistency and message, consistency and work ethic.”
Huff said he spoke to Saban about the Marshall job before accepting it and the Alabama coach spoke highly of Marshall and the state of West Virginia.
“Coach Saban loves this state,” Huff said. Saban grew up in Fairmont, West Virginia, and spent two seasons on West Virginia’s coaching staff early in his coaching career.
He bleeds West Virginia. He is a West Virginian. He doesn’t deny it. He’s actually proud of it. And the one thing he told me in our discussions before I left, he said, ‘That’s a very proud state.’
Saban clearly played a major role in Huff’s coaching career. Huff now takes over a solid program that was ranked in the top 25 at times in 2020.
Huff also sent out a final message to Saban, Alabama and all Alabama fans.
Thank you Coach Saban & @AlabamaFTBL, truly class Acts! Will miss you T-Town! Inviting every #RTR fan to be our guest at any home game! We will show you how @HerdFB and this community gets jumping on football Saturday’s #GoHerd pic.twitter.com/8wCgGGRijd
— Charles C. Huff (@CoachHuff) January 22, 2021