Marshall University: Ashes to Glory
Encyclopedia
Marshall University: Ashes to Glory is a 2000
documentary
about the November 14, 1970 Marshall University
plane crash that killed 75 people (including 37 members of the Thundering Herd football
team, most of its coaching staff, and a number of school officials and Huntingtonians), and the efforts of new head coach Jack Lengyel
and the coaching staff (which included members of the previous staff), to rebuild the team and help heal the city of Huntington
, West Virginia
.
Marshall University was given special permission by the NCAA to play incoming freshmen at the varsity level for the 1971
season. This team was dubbed the Young Thundering Herd and led by the few upperclassmen who didn't make the trip. Several players from other Marshall sports programs rounded out the team's roster. In the preseason "Green and White Game" versus the Marshall alumni (coached by new athletics director Joe McMullen
), the Young Thundering Herd defeated the alums 26-0.
The Young Thundering Herd went on to upset the Xavier
Musketeers on the last play of the game: a 13-yard
screen pass
from quarterback
Reggie Oliver to freshman fullback
Terry Gardner, in their home opener. In their homecoming game later in the season, the team defeated the ranked Bowling Green
Falcons
. These were the only two victories of the year for the Thundering Herd.
The Thundering Herd would lose more games during the 1970s than any other school. However, they had their first winning season in twenty years in 1984
. That was the beginning of an era of success which saw them win more games in the 1990s — 125 — than any other NCAA Division I school, and win NCAA Division I-AA championships in 1992
and 1996
, the latter with an unbeaten season.
Ashes to Glory has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award
for best sports documentary, a silver Angel Award from the Excellence in Media organization, and a Platinum Award at the Worldfest Houston.
The day before the official opening, Thundering Herd head coach Bob Pruett
asked the filmmakers to give a private screening for the team on the eve of the 2000 Mid-American Conference
championship game against Miami University
. The Herd went on to defeat the RedHawks 51-31.
extras include extended interviews, a "making of" documentary as well as "shorts" on the 1970 and the 1971 teams and one about Huntington in the 1970s.
in federal court
in California
accusing Warner Bros.
and others associated with the We Are Marshall
film of fraud
, copyright infringement
and breach of contract
.
Novak, who directed Marshall University: Ashes to Glory, is a Huntington native and Marshall alumnus. On 19 November 2008, a judge ruled in a summary judgment that the case was not built on solid ground and chose to dismiss it.
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about the November 14, 1970 Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
plane crash that killed 75 people (including 37 members of the Thundering Herd football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, most of its coaching staff, and a number of school officials and Huntingtonians), and the efforts of new head coach Jack Lengyel
Jack Lengyel
Jack Lengyel is a software executive and former American football coach, lacrosse coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the College of Wooster from 1966 to 1970 and at Marshall University from 1971 until 1974, compiling a career college football...
and the coaching staff (which included members of the previous staff), to rebuild the team and help heal the city of Huntington
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
Marshall University was given special permission by the NCAA to play incoming freshmen at the varsity level for the 1971
1971 in sports
1971 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria-American football:...
season. This team was dubbed the Young Thundering Herd and led by the few upperclassmen who didn't make the trip. Several players from other Marshall sports programs rounded out the team's roster. In the preseason "Green and White Game" versus the Marshall alumni (coached by new athletics director Joe McMullen
Joe McMullen
-External links:...
), the Young Thundering Herd defeated the alums 26-0.
The Young Thundering Herd went on to upset the Xavier
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
Musketeers on the last play of the game: a 13-yard
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
screen pass
Screen pass
A screen pass is a type of play in American football. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is being thrown, when in fact the pass is merely a short one, just beyond the defensive linemen. Screens are usually deployed...
from quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Reggie Oliver to freshman fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Terry Gardner, in their home opener. In their homecoming game later in the season, the team defeated the ranked Bowling Green
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
Falcons
Bowling Green Falcons football
The Bowling Green Falcons football team is the interscholastic football team at Bowling Green State University. Bowling Green competes as a member of the Mid-American Conference in the East Division. The Falcons have won ten conference championships....
. These were the only two victories of the year for the Thundering Herd.
The Thundering Herd would lose more games during the 1970s than any other school. However, they had their first winning season in twenty years in 1984
1984 in sports
1984 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine Skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland** Women's overall season champion: Erika Hess, Switzerland...
. That was the beginning of an era of success which saw them win more games in the 1990s — 125 — than any other NCAA Division I school, and win NCAA Division I-AA championships in 1992
1992 in sports
1992 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup* Men's overall season champion: Paul Accola, Switzerland* Women's overall season champion: Petra Kronberger, Austria-American football:...
and 1996
1996 in sports
1996 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway** Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany-American football:...
, the latter with an unbeaten season.
Ashes to Glory has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for best sports documentary, a silver Angel Award from the Excellence in Media organization, and a Platinum Award at the Worldfest Houston.
The day before the official opening, Thundering Herd head coach Bob Pruett
Bob Pruett
Bob Pruett is best known as the former head football coach of the Marshall University Thundering Herd for nine seasons from 1996 to 2004...
asked the filmmakers to give a private screening for the team on the eve of the 2000 Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
championship game against Miami University
Miami RedHawks football
The Miami University RedHawks, known as the Miami Redskins before 1996, are a NCAA Division I FBS college football program that competes in the Mid-American Conference...
. The Herd went on to defeat the RedHawks 51-31.
Extras
DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
extras include extended interviews, a "making of" documentary as well as "shorts" on the 1970 and the 1971 teams and one about Huntington in the 1970s.
We Are Marshall lawsuit
Deborah Novak and John Witek filed a $40 million lawsuitLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
in federal court
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
accusing Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and others associated with the We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and...
film of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
and breach of contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
.
Novak, who directed Marshall University: Ashes to Glory, is a Huntington native and Marshall alumnus. On 19 November 2008, a judge ruled in a summary judgment that the case was not built on solid ground and chose to dismiss it.