by Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — For the second time in as many years, Marshall’s football program is looking for new defensive coordinator.
Adam Fuller, who led the Herd defense to high national marks this year, especially in rush defense, announced Saturday he’s leaving Marshall to take the defensive coordinator’s job at Memphis.
Fuller was hired to lead Marshall’s defense at the end of the 2017 season following Chuck Heater’s departure to Maryland.
Fuller replaces Chris Ball in Memphis. Ball was recently named head coach at Northern Arizona University.
The announcement came on the University of Memphis’ athletic website, gotigersgo.com
“We are so very excited about the addition of Adam Fuller to the Memphis Tigers football family,” Memphis head coach Mike Norvell said. “Adam is one of the top defensive minds in college football and has been part of developing some of college football’s top defensive units throughout his career.
“Coach Fuller will bring an aggressive and detailed approach to our Memphis defense. It will put our student-athletes in positions to showcase all their skills and talents, while also being developed at the highest level.”
In 2018, Marshall ranked in the Football Bowl Subdivision’s (FBS) top 35 in more than 30 defensive categories, including ranking ninth in rushing defense (104.2), eighth in sacks (42) and 16th in takeaways (24). Fuller’s defense was one of just three in the nation — with Clemson and Northern Illinois the other two — to not allow a 100-yard rusher in any of its games in 2018. Seven of his players earned Conference USA postseason honors this year.
From 2013-17, Fuller served as the Herd’s assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. In 2013, Marshall had the nation’s most improved scoring defense since 1998. That team won the Conference USA East Division title and won the 2013 Military Bowl.
In 2014, the Herd posted a 13-1 record, won the Boca Raton Bowl and finished the year ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press (AP) poll. Fuller’s three specialists claimed All-Conference USA first team honors, and linebacker Neville Hewitt earned the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Hewitt went on to make the Miami Dolphins’ roster as an undrafted free agent, while teammate Jermaine Holmes earned a spot on the New York Jets’ roster.
In 2015, Herd linebacker Evan McKelvey received the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year honor, making it back-to-back years the Herd took the award back to Huntington, W.Va. The 2015 Herd squad went 10-3 and won the St. Petersburg Bowl.
In 2017, the Marshall defense ranked 18th in total defense (341.7 ypg), 20th in rushing defense (125.4 ypg) and 10th in red zone defense (.732). Marshall went 8-5 and won the New Mexico Bowl. In 2018, Fuller moved from coaching linebackers to safeties and also assumed the defensive coordinator title.
No word on Marshall’s timetable for replacing Fuller.