Jason Corriher
Marshall Athletics

DALLAS – Marshall head coach Doc Holliday, quarterback Grant Wells and linebacker Tavante Beckett all earned Conference USA honors Tuesday when the league announced its individual awards.
Beckett won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor. He averaged 9.6 tackles per game, had 7.5 TFLs, one forced fumble, a nation-leading four fumble recoveries and one touchdown.
Beckett was a two-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week and was named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Thundering Herd’s win over then-No. 23 Appalachian State.
Wells earned the league’s Freshman of the Year award, the fourth time in nine years that a Thundering Herd player took home the top rookie award.
The first team All-Conference signal-caller was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week three times this season and was the Manning Award National QB of the week following his 363-yard, 5 TD performance vs. Middle Tennessee.
Wells completed 61percent of his passes for league-bests of 1,877 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns. His 18 TD passes rank third among the FBS freshmen and he places second in the conference in total offense at 239.1 yards per game.
Holliday, Marshall football’s all-time leader in games coached and wins over FBS opponents, was selected as the league’s Coach of the Year for the second time in his career (2014).
Last week, Holliday was tabbed the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Region 4 Coach of the Year, an honor that covers all of Conference USA and the Big 12 Conference. That award also made him a finalist for National Coach of the Year.
Holliday has recorded 85 wins at Marshall, including three straight seasons with 10 or more victories from 2013 to 2015.
The Thundering Herd went 13-1 in 2014 with a Conference USA title and victory in the Boca Raton Bowl. Holliday has also led Marshall to eight bowl games, winning six of the first seven.
Holliday becomes the fifth coach in C-USA history to win multiple Coach of the Year awards.
Marshall (7-2) is set to face Buffalo (5-1) Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET in the 2020 Camellia Bowl, a contest that will be carried by ESPN with Bill Roth, Dustin Fox and Lauren Sisler on the call.