Remembering Marshall University: The Tragic Plane Crash and the Community’s Resilience

2023-11-14 10:08:00
On this day, exactly 53 years ago, the tight-knit community of Huntington, West Virginia, endured one of the darkest moments in its history—the heartbreaking Southern Airways Flight 932 plane crash. The chartered jet, carrying the Marshall University football team, crashed just two miles from the Tri-State Airport in Kenova, West Virginia, claiming the lives of everyone on board.
The tragedy unfolded after the team’s match against East Carolina University, a game that ended in a 17-14 loss for the Thundering Herd. Onboard the ill-fated flight were 37 players, the team’s coach, doctors, the university’s athletic director, and 25 devoted team boosters, including some of Huntington’s most prominent citizens who had journeyed to North Carolina to support their beloved Thundering Herd.
This devastating event marked the culmination of a series of unfortunate incidents that had plagued the Marshall football team since the early 1960s. From the condemnation of the university stadium in 1962 to a period of no victories between 1966 and 1969 and a suspension from the NCAA due to recruiting violations, the team had faced adversity. However, Marshall had been on the path to recovery, with a new coach, a renovated stadium, and renewed hope for future victories.
For Huntington, the impact of the plane crash was profound, described by one citizen as being akin to the Kennedy assassination—a moment etched in the collective memory of the town. The community entered a state of mourning, with businesses closing, and the town draped in black bunting. A memorial service held at the university stadium and the cancellation of classes on Monday reflected the depth of the grief that enveloped the community.
The aftermath saw Marshall University appointing a new football coach, Jack Lengyel, from the College of Wooster in Ohio. The NCAA granted special permission for freshmen to play on the varsity squad, and Lengyel assembled a team comprising first-year players, walk-ons, and the nine veterans who had not been on the ill-fated plane. The 1971 season began with a loss, but a poignant victory against Ohio‘s Xavier Universitymarked by a last-second touchdown, provided a glimmer of hope and healing for the community. In Lengyel’s four-year tenure, the Thundering Herd won a total of nine games, but none resonated as emotionally as that first triumphant post-tragedy match. The journey of resilience and rebuilding continues to serve as a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable loss.

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