Phil Ratliff (2008) - Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame

Phil Ratliff

Induction:
2008
Class:
1992

Recruited to Marshall as a defensive lineman by Coach George Chaump – and a Herd starter there as a freshman in 1989 – Phil Ratliff was moved to the offensive side of the ball when Jim Donnan became the head coach and helped pave the way for some of the best attacks in Thundering Herd history. The Louisa, Ky., native started every game for the 1991 and 1992 teams that finished as the national runner-up and national champion, respectively, as a team captain and All-Southern Conference pick each season. In 1992 Ratliff won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the league’s best offensive lineman, and was a consensus All-American as the Thundering Herd won the NCAA Division I-AA national championship. After completing his Marshall career, Ratliff became a high school coach – including four seasons as the head coach at Spring Valley High School – and then became a college coach, serving as an assistant at James Madison, Marshall and Charlotte. Ratliff was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.