Marvin Wetzel (1986) - Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame

Marvin Wetzel

Induction:
1986
Class:
1949

After graduating from high school in Mannington, W.Va., where he led the school’s football team to four undefeated seasons, Marvin Wetzel’s college football career was delayed because of service in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After serving in the Pacific theater, where he rose to the rank of sergeant, “Bear” immediately became a star running back for Marshall, though he played all 11 offensive positions at one time or another for Coach Cam Henderson. As a sophomore, the 6-foot, 198-pound back was the No. 3 scorer in the nation, topping Marshall with 18 touchdowns as the Big Green turned in a 9-2 record and received the school’s first bowl berth. Marshall fell to Catawba College in the New Year’s Day Tangerine Bowl in a year where there were only nine bowl games played, and Marshall would not play in another bowl for 50 years. Marshall fell to a 2-7-1 record the following season, but with Wetzel as a captain, bounced back to go 6-4 in Henderson’s final year as the school’s football coach, including a 4-0 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play. Evansville was awarded that year’s OVC championship with a 5-1 record when Marshall declined to travel to Evansville for a postseason playoff game.

After graduating from Marshall, Wetzel joined the Philadelphia Eagles, but his NFL career was cut short before it ever started because of a knee injury. Wetzel became a high school coach in West Virginia for several seasons, then joined former Marshall teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Don Gibson as assistant football and basketball coach, and also the head wrestling and track and field coach, at New Mexico Highlands University. Wetzel later moved to Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado, where he was the head football, baseball, wrestling, track and field and women’s basketball coach, twice winning conference football coach of the year honors. After retiring from coaching, Wetzel remained a social studies professor and became a vice president at Trinidad State until he retired in 1988. Wetzel was inducted into the New Mexico Highlands University Sports Hall of Honor in 2003, the Single Wing Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986.