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Marshall won't renew contract of AD Christian Spears, will start search for replacement

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Marshall will not renew the contract of athletic director Christian Spears when it expires next year, the school announced Tuesday.

Marshall said the decision was mutual and it will begin an immediate search for a replacement for Spears, who was hired in February 2022.

“It has been my honor to serve this incredible university," Spears said in a statement.

Spears guided Marshall’s transition from Conference USA to the Sun Belt Conference in 2022.

“We are grateful for Christian’s passionate leadership and substantial contributions to Marshall Athletics,” Marshall President Brad Smith said in a statement. “From championship seasons to key facility upgrades, Christian is leaving the athletic department in a strong position. We wish him continued success in his next venture.”

The Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt football championship last December. The next day, football coach Charles Huff departed for Sun Belt rival Southern Miss. Dozens of players then entered the transfer portal, prompting Marshall to opt out of playing in the Independence Bowl. The Sun Belt fined Marshall $100,000 for the decision, which Spears had said was done “for all the right reasons.”

Huff’s four-year contract at Marshall was up after the 2024 season and there had been no agreement on a new deal. Spears has said Huff entertained coaching offers at other schools while at Marshall and that Spears wanted someone who “truly wants to be at Marshall.” Less than an hour after Huff's hiring at Southern Miss was announced, Marshall named Tony Gibson as its football coach. Gibson had signed a memorandum of understanding at Marshall five days before Huff's departure.

Among other coaches hired by Spears was women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell, who led the Thundering Herd to the NCAA Tournament in her only season before leaving for Tennessee.

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