When Navy hosts Marshall Saturday afternoon in the college football season opener for both schools, there will be an honored guest in attendance.
Lengyel is a historic figure in the history of Marshall football, the first head coach following the tragic plane crash that wiped out the program in 1970. What Lengyel did to resurrect Marshall football after being hired in March 1971 was so inspiring it was made into a hit movie.
“We Are Marshall,” starring Matthew McConaughey as Lengyel, was released by Warner Brothers in December 2006, and grossed almost $44 million in theaters. The historical drama biopic remains a staple on cable television.