For the fifth time in 17 years, University of Memphis football will open its season with a new head coach. Late of Southern Miss (and before that, Marshall), Charles Huff arrives at a pivot point in the program’s history. With kickoff looming — Saturday at UNLV — we have some questions.
Who is head coach Charles Huff?
University of Memphis athletic director Ed Scott hired Huff last December to succeed Ryan Silverfield, who departed for Arkansas and SEC riches after six seasons (and 50 wins) at the Tiger helm. Huff coached one season at Southern Miss, leading a dramatic turnaround for the Golden Eagles, from a 1-11 record in 2024 to 7-5 under Huff last fall. Prior to his year in Hattiesburg, Huff coached four years at Marshall, leading the Thundering Herd to a record of 32-20 and a 2024 Sun Belt championship.
Just as attractive to Scott were Huff’s credentials as an assistant, particularly years spent at Penn State (2014-17) and Alabama (2019-20). He’s witnessed the upper echelons of college football, and what they require to stay on top. Huff earned a national championship ring in his final season with the Crimson Tide where he was in charge of running backs.
During his introductory press conference at the Tiger football practice facility, Huff emphasized “closing the gap” between the Memphis program and those of the four so-called “power conferences” (SEC, Big 10, Big XII, and ACC). You’ll see “Close the Gap” in various promotional formats this season, somewhat ironically next to the logo for the American Conference, the league on one side of the gap Memphis aims to reduce. You can say Charles Huff’s mission is the Tiger football program’s mission. There’s a shared sense of urgency.
At his third program in three years, Huff is climbing the coaching ladder, but he can’t be described as a “young coach.” At 43, he’s more than a college generation older than predecessors Justin Fuente (36) or Mike Norvell (34) when they arrived in Memphis. There is no getting-to-know-you period for Huff. He must win in 2026, then even bigger in 2027.
“Why not Memphis?” asked Huff at his introductory presser. “This is the first time in my career that I’m taking over a program that’s not broken. I’m taking over a program where long-term goals match my long-term goals. I’m taking over a program that has elite support. I’m taking over a program that has elite resources. My mission: Close the gap. We’ve been good and won a lot of games. It’s time to win a championship.”
What does the new coach think of Memphis?
Huff had plenty to say about his new home at a preseason press conference. “The one thing I’ve learned since December,” said Huff, “is that Memphis is a place where you can be yourself and you’ll be accepted. You don’t have to act one way on this side of town, or if you’re meeting with this group. You can be yourself. That’s the only thing I know how to do. There’s also an unbelievable blending in Memphis. Wherever you go, you’ll see a blend. It’s not like east and west are totally different. That is what makes this place really special.
Do the last 12 years matter?
“People are real, and they take you for who you are. Penny Hardaway told me, when I first got here, if you love the city, it’ll love you back. That’s true. As long as you stay who you are. Now, I haven’t lost a game yet. But I truly think that if things don’t go well, they’ll voice their opinions, love you, and move on. There will be some rough articles, some barking, if things don’t go well. When you support a team wholeheartedly, you deserve to be upset, you deserve to be excited. This city truly is immersed in this university, and vice versa.”
Yes and no. They certainly do if you happen to remember the dozen years prior to 2014, and the ongoing success since. Bowl-eligible every season. Five 10-win campaigns and conference championships in 2014 and 2019. A first-team All-America here (receiver Anthony Miller), another first-team All-America there (running back Darrell Henderson). The day ESPN’s College GameDay came to Beale Street (2019)? It was even better than the Tigers’ appearance in that year’s Cotton Bowl.
On the other hand, the Memphis program has been left behind by the likes of Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati as the power-conference landscape shifts from one era into another. (The program Memphis beat on that GameDay night, SMU, now plays in the ACC.) If all the success Memphis has enjoyed on the field hasn’t translated, yet, to a conference promotion, what will make the difference? Will we see evidence of that variable in 2026? Turns out this question only leads to more.
Can the gap be closed by 2028?
If you were scrolling for Tiger football info over the summer, you likely stopped when alerted to comments the new coach made suggesting Memphis could be positioned to join a power league as early as 2028. Really? “I truly believe that we’re in a vehicle moving forward,” said Huff at that preseason presser. “We have the resources, we have the facilities, we have the city, we have the right people. This university is moving forward. I’m always going to be honest. When I stand in front of that team, I tell them, ‘This program is moving forward.’ So the expectations are higher. They earned a 3.57 GPA. Awesome. Broke records. It’s not good enough. You gotta go higher, because the program is moving higher.”
What can $226 million buy you?
It will buy you a new stadium experience, to say the least. One look at the new west tower at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium and any longtime fan of the program will know fall Saturdays are different now. An infusion of high-end video technology will further bring the 61-year-old stadium into the 21st century. Be it football, baseball, or basketball, it’s not just what you see on the field of play, but how your senses are stimulated as you see it.
Here’s the catch, though: If the Tigers play poorly, the tech and glitter will just be a greater contrast, feed social media snark, and make fans wonder if the $226 million might have been better spent elsewhere. Win big and the Tigers will be able to promote and sell the program like never before to recruits, transfers, and the college presidents who will help determine if Memphis is worthy of a new, bigger league.
Can a stadium be the star attraction?
For the 2026 home opener (September 5th)? Absolutely. Perhaps for an entire six-game home schedule. But not long-term. Baseball stadiums are the equivalent of a favorite picnic spot: Being outdoors with sights and sounds that comfort you is the primary mission. Not so with football. So who will be the stars for the 2026 Memphis Tigers? Five Tigers earned first-team all-conference honors in 2025, but not one of them will be in blue and gray this season. A few current players getting preseason buzz: defensive linemen J’Mond Tapp and Jaden McKinney, linebacker Mike Montgomery, and defensive back Ian Foster. Defensive stars rarely sell tickets. Which brings us to our next question.
Who will quarterback the 2026 Tigers?
When asked about the difference between quarterbacks Marcus Stokes and Air Noland, offensive coordinator Kevin Decker has a clever answer: “The ball spins one way when one of them throws it and the opposite way for the other.” Noland (a lefty) spent a season at Ohio State and another at South Carolina but has thrown a grand total of three passes. Stokes starred at West Florida, passing for 3,297 yards in 2025 with 30 touchdowns through the air and 10 more with his legs … but all against Division II competition. Not since Seth Henigan took the field as a freshman in 2021 have the Tigers opened a season with so little FBS experience at the quarterback position.
Can the Tiger defense win games?
With the likes of Tapp, Montgomery, and Foster, you’d like to think so. Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry is entering his 33rd season as a football coach. It will be hard for an opposing offense to surprise him. Guidry feels like the Memphis defensive line has depth, an important factor when quarterback-hunting is a priority. And I liked something Guidry said at that preseason presser: “We earn the right to rush the passer by stopping the run.” Winning first down, as they say, often means forcing a second-and-long at the line of scrimmage. And that’s muscle work, effort, grind. If the Tigers’ DC is emphasizing that from the get-go, a healthy culture will be established.
What’s the biggest home game?
A systemic problem for Memphis Tiger football: no top rival. There is no Ohio State for the Mid-South’s “Michigan.” No Auburn for “Alabama.” Semi-regular meetings with Ole Miss don’t count (the Rebels have Mississippi State). UCF was growing into something special, but then the Knights bolted for the Big XII. Which games do Tiger fans circle when the schedule is released?
Tulane is a preseason favorite to win the American Conference, but the Tigers will face them in New Orleans. The “Battle for the Bones” with UAB tries desperately to be that rivalry game but the programs went a decade without playing, and Memphis reached new heights. You might circle October 22nd on this year’s calendar (it’s a Thursday). East Carolina visits for the Tigers’ eighth game, and we should know if Memphis is competing for a conference title by then. The Pirates won nine games last year, including a 31-27 victory over the Tigers, their third straight win in the series. For good or ill, a Memphis win over ECU this fall would be memorable.
Can the Tigers win the American Conference?
This might be a question for Tulane. The Green Wave has played in each of the last four American championship games, winning in 2022 and 2025. The Tigers’ Friday-night tilt at Tulane (October 16th) could yield a front-runner to host this year’s championship. For all their success under coach Ryan Silverfield, the Tigers never reached the title game on his watch (2020-25). Memphis beat Cincinnati at the Liberty Bowl to win the 2019 championship, the last of three consecutive appearances in the event under coach Mike Norvell. Can the 2026 Memphis Tigers be conference champions? I like one of Huff’s go-to expressions: “Spot the ball,” and we’ll find out.
How about a prediction for the 2026 season?
New coach and almost an entirely new roster? No thanks on the prediction business. Wait, here’s one, big-picture: Charles Huff will be the first coach to lead the Tigers in power-conference competition, or he’ll be the last Tiger coach with a chance to do so. Close that gap, Coach.
2026 Tiger Football Schedule
Aug. 29th — at UNLV
Sept. 5th — ARKANSAS STATE
Sept. 12th — at Boise State
Sept. 19th — UT-MARTIN
Oct. 3rd — at Charlotte
Oct. 10th — UAB
Oct. 16th (Fri.) — at Tulane
Oct. 22nd (Thu.) — EAST CAROLINA
Oct. 31st — ARMY
Nov. 12th (Thu.) — at South Florida
Nov. 21st — at Navy
Nov. 27th (Fri.) — TEMPLE
