It’s official: the Memphis Tigers have hired Charles Huff as the program’s 26th full-time head football coach. The announcement spelled excitement for fans of Tiger Nation, it represents the start of a new and promising chapter. 

Here’s a deeper look at who Charles Huff is, what he’s accomplished so far, and why this move could matter for Memphis — now and for seasons to come.

Who Is Charles Huff — At a Glance

• Huff is 42 years old and comes to Memphis with more than 20 years of coaching experience at both the college and professional level. 
• His coaching journey includes a variety of stops: from smaller programs, to NFL work, to power-conference jobs, and now head-coaching roles. 
• Most recently, Huff spent the 2025 season as head coach at Southern Miss Golden Eagles (Southern Miss), but now he will lead the Memphis program beginning with the 2026 season. 

Coaching Roots & Career Path: From Tennessee State to Head Coach

Huff’s path to head coach at a Group-of-Five program is a long climb — and one that shows his breadth of experience:

• He began his coaching career in 2006 as an assistant at Tennessee State Tigers. 
• From there, he held positions at a variety of programs: Maryland, his alma mater Hampton Pirates, Vanderbilt, Western Michigan — plus a year in the NFL as assistant running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills. 
• He later served as running backs coach at Mississippi State Bulldogs (2018), then joined Alabama Crimson Tide under legendary coach Nick Saban (2019–2020) — where he was associate head coach and running backs coach. 
• In 2021, Huff got his first FBS head coaching job at Marshall Thundering Herd. He stayed through the 2024 season before a one-year stint at Southern Miss. 

In short: Huff has seen just about every level of college (and a bit of pro) football — recruiting, player development, position coaching, and leadership roles. That breadth matters for a program like Memphis that wants stability AND growth.

Track Record: Wins, Turnarounds & Milestones

Here’s how Huff has fared when given the reins:

At Marshall (2021–2024)

• Posted a 32-20 record over four seasons. 
• Reached a bowl game every season — something no other FBS-era Marshall coach had done in their first four seasons. 
• Landmark victory: a stunning 26–21 upset of then-No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend (2022) — one of college football’s most memorable upsets in recent years. 
• Culminated his tenure with Marshall winning the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game — Marshall’s first-ever Sun Belt title. 

At Southern Miss (2025)

• Took over a program that went 1–11 in 2024 and molded it into a 7–5 team for the 2025 season — one of the biggest turnarounds in FBS this year. 
• That 7–5 record earned bowl eligibility, the program’s best regular-season mark since 2019. 
• With that improvement, Huff’s overall head-coaching record now stands at roughly 39–25. 

That mix of consistency at Marshall and rapid turnaround at Southern Miss paints a picture: Huff isn’t just a one-time fluke — he seems capable of building, stabilizing, and improving programs over the long haul.

What Memphis Gains — And Why This Matters

Recruiting Strength & Regional Ties

Huff has coached and recruited across a wide swath of the Southeast: SEC programs, Sun Belt, and mid-majors. His time at Alabama and Mississippi State, along with those earlier stops, give him familiarity and relationships in a region loaded with talent. For Memphis — competing with Power 5, Group of 5, and even junior college pipelines — that network could transform recruiting and depth-building. 

Building Program Stability — With a Winning Foundation

Memphis has had reasonable success over recent years, finishing the 2025 season 8–4 (and ranked as high as No. 22 at points). 

What Huff brings is the potential to raise that baseline — consistent bowl appearances, perhaps turning 8–4 seasons into 9–10 wins, and aiming for conference contention. Given what he did at Marshall and Southern Miss, that is a realistic expectation.

Coaching Curriculum & Player Development Credentials

Huff isn’t a single-minded specialist; he’s coached running backs, coordinated run games, worked special teams, and helped manage top-tier offenses and defenses.  That versatility could help optimize Memphis’ current roster while recruiting new talent where the Tigers need it most.

Momentum and New Direction

With a new coach comes renewed energy — which could trickle down to recruiting, training, support staff, and even fan engagement. Huff’s arrival signals that Memphis wants to compete for championships, not just settle for bowls. 

What to Watch — The Challenges & Early Tests

• Staff hires: Huff will need coordinators and assistants who match his vision. The foundation is there, but consistency will hinge on staff stability.
• Roster upgrades and recruiting: To truly move from “good” to “great,” Memphis must capitalize on Huff’s recruiting network and leverage NIL and transfer portal dynamics.
• Player buy-in & culture reset: Even the best coaches can struggle if the locker room doesn’t buy in. Huff’s success will partly depend on how quickly current and incoming players adapt to his style.
• Expectations vs. patience: Fans may hope for quick wins, but building a sustainable, championship-caliber program takes time. The next 1–2 seasons will be critical to establishing or breaking expectations.

Final Take: A New Era for Tiger Football

Hiring Charles Huff doesn’t guarantee championships — but it gives Memphis one of the strongest chances it’s had in years. With his track record of rebuilding, recruiting, and winning — from Marshall to Southern Miss — Huff brings credibility, ambition, and a blueprint for sustained success. For a program that’s hovered near the top of the Group-of-Five tiers, this is a strategic step forward.

Tiger Nation, buckle up: this feels like the beginning of something important.