Marshall University football coach Doc Holliday says returning to Morgantown where he played and coached for years hasn’t gotten old.
"I don’t know if it’s ever old hat but it is what it is. It’s a big game because it’s our next game. It’s our opener," Holliday said during an interview on MetroNews Talkline Tuesday.
Holliday’s Thundering Herd will meet West Virginia in the Friends of Coal Bowl Saturday. Kick-off is set for noon.
Holliday, a native of Putnam County, was a linebacker at WVU in the 1970s. He followed that with being a member of Don Nehlen’s coaching staff through the 80s and 90s before heading to North Carolina State and Florida. He returned to Morgantown to be part of the late Bill Stewart’s staff and then left to become Marshall’s head coach where he begins his third season Saturday.
Holliday says Mountaineer Field is "electrifying" on game days.
"It’s a great place to play, a great arena. You know we play in a lot of great arenas. It’s the first game and it just happens to be West Virginia. We’ll get our guys on the bus Friday and see what happens," Holliday said.
Saturday is the seventh and final game in the current contract with no new contract in sight. Holliday says he’s just hoping for a storm-free event Saturday. Last year’s game was delayed more than once because of severe thunderstorms.
Holliday says he learned something from last year’s unusual circumstances. He says visiting teams need to have some food on hand for their players.
"It’s a little different if you’re a home team because you’ve got a few things there," Holliday said. "But being a visitor and on the road we’ve got to make sure we’re prepared for any situation that occurs. That’s one that I’ve never been associated with but we’ll be prepared from now on."