July 29, 2025
By Anthony Doria, FM88 Sports
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (WMUL-FM)- A new era in Marshall Athletics will begin this upcoming year.
On Monday, Marshall University President Brad D. Smith announced the Hiring of Gerald J. Harrison as the Vice President and Director of Athletics for Marshall Athletics.
He will be appointed as the 23rd Director of Athletics in Marshall’s History after approval by Marshall’s Board of Governors on Monday morning.
Before joining the Herd, Harrison spent 7 seasons at Austin Peay State University, and it’s safe to say that success was huge for the school, on and off the field.
During Harrison’s time, Austin Peay athletics won 13 championships, including three in football. His department was good in the classroom as well, as they carried a 3.0 or higher GPA for 16 Straight Semesters.
Harrison also has a knack for finding the right coaches. Harrison hired 16 coaches since 2018, six of whom would be Coach of the Year honorees during his time.
He also succeeded in the corporate side of College Athletics, due to his sponsorships that he secured, creating huge revenue, Austin Peay would have record ticket sales in baseball, football, and men’s basketball.
He also produced a 33% increase in the department’s revenue in the 2022-2023 year.
In the day and age of NIL in College Athletics, Harrison showed his dedication to making his programs better.
Harrison’s introductory press conference will take place at 11 am Wednesday, July 30th. You can watch the stream using this link: https://www.marshall.edu/livestream/
Harrison looks to build on the foundation for Marshall Athletics and lead them to more Sun Belt Championships.
More updates will be provided when they become available.