The 8-5 record gave Memphis a reason to make a change, and Charles Huff became the man chosen to lead it. Once he arrived, Huff wasted no time doing things differently. His approach produced one of college football’s more unusual hires: someone brought in specifically to monitor the sleep of Memphis players.
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Heading into his first year at the program, Charles Huff brought in 80 new players, including 60 additions from the portal. On top of that, Memphis had to travel 1,400 miles away to Allegiant Stadium to take on UNLV in front 31,000 people. They had to be efficient. His answer to the problem was Dr. Cheri Mah, a sleep physician and performance specialist.
Before bringing Mah on board, Huff did meticulous research on her and found that her résumé spoke for itself. She had won two Super Bowl rings, one with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 and another with the Seattle Seahawks last year. NBA star Andre Iguodala also credited her with improving his career.
“We did everything she told us to the T,” Huff told The Athletic. “It’s gonna give us the edge that we needed.”
During her first video call with the head coach, Mah had several questions for Huff about the players’ sleep schedules. The sleep physician asked whether players received sleep education, used assessments or wearables, and followed travel plans designed around their body clocks.
For most of her questions, Mah received only one answer: “No.” Realizing that the team did not view sleep as an important part of its routine, she explained that if they wanted to perform better that season, they needed to see sleep not just as a tool for recovery but as a strategy. She then held multiple sessions with the team.
The result? Memphis pulled off a shocking upset against the UNLV Rebels, defeating them 27–21. To put it into context, UNLV finished last season with a 10–4 record. Although UNLV started the game strongly and looked like the superior team early on, Memphis quickly changed the equation midway through the game and pulled off the upset.
According to The Athletic, Huff brought Mah on board for a little over $20,000, not just for the first game but for the entire season. Interestingly, after the Tigers beat Arkansas State 42-24, Huff revealed that six coaches called him, asking, “What did you guys do?”
Interestingly, he wasn’t the only head coach who talked about his players’ sleep schedules ahead of the 2026 season. Colorado HC Deion Sanders was also facing a similar issue. Heading into their Week 1 game against Georgia Tech, the Buffs were practicing at times that didn’t match game time. To make sure that his players are not sleepy against the Yellow Jackets, Coach Prime insisted on solving their sleep schedules. That paid dividends as Colorado won 14-13 in a massive road game.
Charles Huff reveals the secret behind the team’s turnaround
Upon learning that the Tigers did not view sleep as a strategy, Mah stepped in. She hosted multiple sessions with the team, explaining why sleep could be a game-changer and equipping players with practical strategies to improve both the duration and quality of their rest.
“One of the things she had the guys do was start journaling how many hours of sleep they got for a week,” Huff said, according to The Athletic. “She had them get their room temperatures down to 68. Told them, ‘Don’t take a warm shower less than an hour before you go to bed, because it raises your body temperature and it’ll take you longer to fall asleep.’”
One of Mah’s key rules was simple: stay away from blue screens before bedtime. She made it a team responsibility, framing the habit around performance, a message that resonated despite the challenge of convincing young players to put their devices aside.
“She gave us a hit chart: Do these things; don’t do these things,” Huff said. “We sent all of her notes and tip sheets to the players’ phones: ‘Tonight, get off your phone at 9 o’clock.’ You can’t go in every kid’s room. But you challenge them this way: ‘Here’s some information that the NFL guys have. You all say you want to play in the NFL. Let’s try this and see what happens.’”
Maintaining the circadian rhythm properly is what Dr. Cheri Mah brought to the Memphis Tigers, and the results are already showing on the field. How far this strategy can take them remains to be seen, but after starting 2-0, the Tigers are confident enough to take on any opponent.