1996 Marshall Thundering Herd football team

1996 Marshall Thundering Herd football
NCAA Division I-AA champion
SoCon champion
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 1[1]
Record15–0 (8–0 SoCon)
Head coach
Co-offensive coordinatorGunter Brewer (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinatorLarry Kueck (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorKevin Kelly (1st season)
CaptainEric Kresser, Tim Martin, Aaron Ferguson, Melvin Cunningham, Billy Lyon, Jermaine Swafford
Home stadiumMarshall University Stadium
Seasons
← 1995
1997 →
1996 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Marshall $^   8 0     15 0  
No. T–8 East Tennessee State ^   7 1     10 3  
No. 13 Furman ^   6 2     9 4  
No. 25 Appalachian State   5 3     7 4  
The Citadel   3 5     4 7  
Georgia Southern   2 6     4 7  
VMI   2 6     3 8  
Chattanooga   2 6     3 8  
Western Carolina   1 7     4 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1996 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University as a member of Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Bob Pruett, the Thundering Herd compiled an overall record of 15–0 with mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the SoCon title. Marshall advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship playoffs, where they beat Delaware in the first round, Furman in the quarterfinals, Northern Iowa in the semifinals, and Montana in the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game to win the program's second NCAA Division I-AA title. 1996 was Marshall's final season competing at the NCAA Division I-AA level as they moved to NCAA Division I-A competition and joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 1997.

  1. ^ "Final Sports Network's 1996 Division I-AA College Football Poll". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2009.