During Bowden 's first year as head coach at WVU , the football team of the state 's other top-division school , Marshall University , were killed in a plane crash . He asked NCAA permission to wear Marshall jerseys and play Marshall 's final game of the 1970 season against Ohio , but was denied . In memory of the victims of the crash , Mountaineers players put green crosses and the initials " MU " on their helmets . Bowden allowed Marshall 's new head coach Jack Lengyel and his assistants access to game film and playbooks to acquaint themselves with the veer offense , a variation of the option offense which aids teams with weak offensive lines . Lengyel credits Bowden with helping the young Thundering Herd recover . Bowden reportedly became emotional while viewing the movie '' We Are Marshall '' , and has said that he was the original candidate for the Marshall head coaching job vacated by crash victim Rick Tolley
plane crash
Southern Airways Flight 932
Bobby Bowden