Rick Tolley
Rickey Dale Tolley (1940 - November 14, 1970) was the head coach of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team during the 1969 and 1970 seasons. He died in the 1970 plane crash that killed most of the Marshall football team and coaching staff.
Tolley became the interim head coach of Marshall just 4 days before the start of fall practice for the 1969 season. He had just 32 players that first season yet still managed to win games against Bowling Green University (21-16), Kent State University (31-20) and East Carolina University (38-7). The game against Bowling Green snapped a 27-game, 3 season losing streak. They also just lost another game against Ohio University (35-38) when the Bobcats scored the winning touchdown with five seconds left.
Tolley started his coaching career at John Battle High School in Bristol, Virginia as an assistant football coach for two years and then as an assistant baseball coach at the University of Virginia for another year. He then joined the football coaching staff at Ferrum Junior College for three years, one of which they won the National Junior College Championship. He then left to become the defensive line coach at Wake Forest University in 1968. He joined Marshall as an assistant in February, 1969.
In college, Tolley played center and linebacker for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team. At Mullens High School, he played basketball, baseball and football. (Mullens has since been consolidated into Wyoming East High School).
| Season | School | Record | Bowl game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Marshall | 3-7 | |
| 1970 | Marshall | 3-6 | |
| Total | 2 Seasons | 6-13 |
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