It was scored by Christophe Beck and written by Jamie Linden. Then- governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue has a cameo role as an East Carolina University football coach. Matthew McConaughey stars as head coach Jack Lengyel, with Matthew Fox as assistant coach William 'Red' Dawson, David Strathairn as university president Donald Dedmon, and Robert Patrick as ill-fated Marshall head coach Rick Tolley. It depicts the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 75 people: 37 players of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters, and the airplane crew of five. We Are Marshall is a 2006 American biographical sports drama film directed by McG.