The transfer portal is thought of in lots of ways, but how often is it thought of in regards to the effect on a player’s parents and family? We sat down with the parents of Marshall offensive lineman Trent Holler, Dick and Sherri, to find out how the process went for them. Trent transferred to Marshall from East Carolina in December 2021 with his first season with The Herd being the 2022 season. Here is what they had to say.

“Hey, I’m going to Marshall.”

So, Trent is in the transfer portal after 2021, what is your thought process at that point when he says he is transferring?

Sherri: “I could not believe it.  I was shocked; I was nervous.”

Dick: “There’s so many unknowns, and that was our whole issue. And he kept saying, ‘Relax, it will all work out, so. . .’”

Sherri: “I was a nervous wreck!”

Dick: “I believe it was like his second day in there when (Eddy) Morrissey reached out to him, I think it was.”

Were there a lot of teams involved, or was it pretty quick before it got to be, “Hey, I’m going to Marshall?’

Sherri: “He had about. . .three to four schools that were very interested.”

Dick: “And he narrowed it down to them.  He had about 12 to 13  offers.”

Sherri: “Right. But we were back on the recruiting trail again.  With nights talking to coaches; it was back to where we were in high school.”

“When was that? Was that 2019 when he was recruited to ECU or 2018?”

Sherri: “It was 2018.  He graduated in 2019.”

“Boy, this would be a nice school.”

So, set back the clock a couple of years and you are Trent getting recruited again, but this time you have kind of proven yourself that you belong in Division I football.  And it is a little bit different bit of recruitment because you can come in and start right away for a program as they have already seen what you have done and you have put on the necessary weight in the weight room that most high school seniors are not going to have; and the football program diet and that sort of thing. He ultimately decided on Marshall.  Before that recruitment—before Morrissey reached out—how familiar were you with Marshall?

Dick: “Well, when he was at East Carolina, we played at Marshall. Our family, we came down on that Saturday because it was a night game, and we tailgated; had great hospitality from the people at Marshall; and during the whole game it was a great atmosphere. After the game, we are walking out, and I think my son and father-in-law said, “Boy, this would be a nice school. . .you know if Trent would have had an opportunity to play here.” So then fast forward late in the season there and he says he is going into the transfer portal and we’re like, “Holy mackerel, man! Marshall is four hours away,” when Morrisey reached out to him.  And we knew a little about the school and knew it was a great town for football. It’s all football there, you know it’s a great atmosphere. It all lined up and worked out well.”

Sherri: “We really didn’t know much until we played there as ECU, I said though that night that I had never met kinder fans in my life!  Because, ECU, we won the game at the end and (Marshall fans were) just so polite! It was a great atmosphere.”

“We traded in all of our purple for green.”

What was it like to buy into a town; buy into a school; and buy into a program, and then boom: everything starts all over again with a transfer. I mean, you’ve probably bought clothes and made trips and all this stuff and now you’re like, “Well, we’re going elsewhere!”

Sherri: “Right. Yes, that was very difficult for us. You’ve built friends at this school, his teammates are friends, there are a lot of connections there. We did buy lots and lots of gear. A lot of tailgating gear. And we had to start all over! We traded in all of our purple for green. You know, Trent was all-in.  As much as Dick and I were a little bit surprised, his brothers were not.  I think that there was a little bit between them that they knew that he was going to enter the portal. Before we did! I remember the last time we went to ECU, our oldest son was like, ‘I don’t know if I’d be buying any more clothes.” My mother did buy some clothes that she never wore again. I don’t know, I think we did fine though.  We took the purple stuff down and we have lots and lots of green! And we love it!”

Dick: “And I think another part to that whole process was when he was going through the recruiting process in itself, being eight hours away at East Carolina, he was like, “Well, if I would go there. . .,” and we were like, “If you go there or wherever we are going to be at your games.”  His freshman year, I think we were only able to go to one or two games. We went to every home game. We made it work. And so it was hard to leave the south because the weather is always nice. We always had good weather for the games. It was hard to leave that type of environment where he was invested in doing well but he had bigger visions that he wanted to try to achieve, and he thought that going into the transfer portal would try and help him move along. Which it really has. He’s, I think, grown and matured in his football development and athletic and academically as well with the relationships he has built with the staff.”

Sherri: “As a family, it is never really about us. It’s about him. And it is about us supporting him in what he wants to do. So I think just knowing that makes it easier.”

“I think the people are genuine. I think it is a football town.”

Here you are now: new team; new fans; new players’ parents to congregate with. Everything is new. You’re starting all over again. How long before it felt like home at Marshall?

Sherri: “Well, he went there in January, so you kind of feel like an outsider at that point. You know, he is talking about kids and things and you just can’t relate. So, then you go into the football season, and I would say about a couple of weeks maybe?”

Dick: “Yeah.  A couple of games.

Sherri: “A couple of games in.”

Dick: “We finally met some people and enjoyed the time and the atmosphere there. I would say probably that we got familiarized with the campus, and the stadium. Now again, we had in our back pocket always that we were there one time before. So, it was kind of nice to know where we were going and what we were doing. He did take a visit down there as well, so again, we kind of knew a little bit more about it. But I would kind of say about three or four games in we felt kind of comfortable in where to go, and which hotels, where to eat, and so forth. It was probably about three to four weeks I would say.”

And what do you like best about Marshall?

Dick: “I think the people are genuine. I think it is a football town. I mean, they love their football there. I would say it is a shorter drive! You know, (shorter) than East Carolina is, because we can work until like three or four o’clock on a Friday and get down there at 7:30 or 8pm and go see those guys at the hotel. And we have gone down out of the season for a weekend just to watch a hoop game and spend some time with Trent. I would say the proximity. It’s really nice that it is a lot closer. I think another great thing about it, I listen to Trent and he talks about the relationship that coaches really build with the players, that they are genuine, and they really have a great interest in the athletes there. And I know everyone that has worked with Trent, and welcomed him, and talked with him, have really developed him into the young man and football player he is today.”

Sherri: “Yeah, I appreciate the opportunity that was given to him. I think the facilities are really good. I love the downtown at night! That to me was like a best-kept secret. Because when you come into Huntington, you don’t see that the way we come in. And then we started to drive through and it is gorgeous in the evening with the lights on, and the activity, and the restaurants. I love that.”

“You know these are football fans and they do their homework on the athletes at Marshall.”

How has the Marshall fanbase embraced you?

Dick: “I think talking to some people at games and you introduce yourself, they know Trent. That is kind of odd to say that, like when he came in and we are down there for the spring game and are introducing ourselves, and they say, “Oh yeah, we know Trent, he came from East Carolina.” And you know these are football fans and they do their homework on the athletes at Marshall. I mean that is all I can say and recall.”

Sherri: “We are there for very short periods of time on the weekend. I think what I said before about being kind, and friendly, and welcoming, and as far as making you feel comfortable in the town.”

What has been your favorite experience as a Marshall fan so far?

Dick: “I would have to say my favorite experience is, well I will give you two. When we went to Notre Dame, I would say that nobody gave us a chance. And I remember talking to Trent the night before and he made a comment like, ‘We are pretty well locked in.’ That’s all he said. And as the game went on, and on, and on, it was like, ‘Are we going to be able to do this?’ And of course, we won that. Then the flip side of that is going to the bowl and winning the bowl game because this is the first winning football team Trent has been on in his entire life. I know that may shock a lot of people and yourself, but his high school team was not a great high school team, and he didn’t really start playing football until seventh grade. So, that was probably the happiest moments for him, the Notre Dame game and going to the bowl game and winning it. They always talk about getting rings and all that so we were really super excited for him on that.”

“Winning! I love to win!”

What are you looking forward to most this season?

Sherri: “Winning! I love to win! We love to win! We are looking forward to just coming down again and seeing him play.”

Dick: “We plan to be, right now, at 10 of the 12 games, and if the team has a great season we might be at all 12! Just hoping he stays healthy, number one. And just hoping that we win the Sun Belt, and we win the championship, and go get into another bowl game, and have an opportunity for them to get another bowl experience. I think that was a great time last year. We had a great time in Myrtle Beach and hopefully, maybe this year, go to Florida or someplace else.”

So at least 10 of the 12, huh?

Dick: “I can tell you that much for sure because we have hotels booked for 10 of the 12!”

Do you have ECU circled on there, not for any kind of spite, but because you are familiar with the area and that is where he was at before?

Sherri: “We do not. We are taking Trent’s lead on this one, and he really just looks at the next game. As he says, ‘The first game is the first game, and we’ll go from there.’”

Dick: “It will be a little different, because you will be on a different side of the stadium, but it is a football game.  I’m sure words will be said during the game against kids, but that is football. I think when it is all over, those kids, they are all friends. He has a lot of friends still there. He talks to some weekly and daily.  I think it will be a different challenge for him but for us it will be just like going back to the same stadium on a different side of the stadium.

Sherri: “We wear green!”

Dick: “Yep! Green and white!”

“Dick loves to tailgate.”

Final question:  It’s game day in Huntington. Where would fans find you?

Dick: “We’re parked behind the Inn Between bar in that gravel parking lot. That’s where we tailgate. We have met a lot of great people over there.”

Sherri: “We’re one of the first ones to arrive. Dick loves to tailgate. We eat a quick breakfast and then we set up pretty early. And he invites and he talks to just about everybody.”

Thanks for sitting down with us and telling your story. And above all else, Go Herd!

Sherri and Dick: “Go Herd!”