HUNTINGTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Marshall University’s new head football coach, Tony Gibson, is advocating for the return of the Friends of Coal Bowl as an annual fixture, emphasizing the benefits for both in-state programs.
In a recent interview on The Herd’s Headset podcast, Gibson expressed strong support for reviving the rivalry between Marshall and West Virginia University (WVU).
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“We need to play this game every year. Keeping the money in-state and supporting both universities just makes sense. I don’t understand why we wouldn’t play it,” Gibson said.
“WVU is going on the road to Ohio University, and we’re traveling to Georgia. I think it would be great to open every season with this rivalry.”
The Friends of Coal Bowl, which was played annually from 2006 to 2012, pitted the Thundering Herd against the Mountaineers in a highly anticipated matchup.
The series began on September 2, 2006, at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, where WVU secured a 42–10 victory.
The winner of the game received the Governor’s Trophy, a unique award crafted in West Virginia using locally sourced materials.
The trophy features a carbon base, a glass pedestal, and a football-shaped piece of coal encased in glass.
Historically, West Virginia has dominated the series, holding a 12–0 record against Marshall.
Despite Gibson’s enthusiasm for renewing the rivalry, WVU’s new head coach, Rich Rodriguez, appears uninterested in revisiting the matchup.
“If you think I’ve spent one second thinking about Marshall, you’re wrong. I could care less what’s going on in Huntington,” Rodriguez said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show in December.
Rodriguez, who previously coached WVU from 2001 to 2007, worked alongside Gibson during his first tenure in Morgantown.
While Marshall’s head coach sees value in restoring the rivalry, it remains uncertain whether WVU leadership will be open to reviving the Friends of Coal Bowl in the future.
