HUNTINGTON - In a way, Bill Legg's coaching career has come full circle. After 15 years, he is coaching Marshall's tight ends.
Of course, he wasn't offensive coordinator way back in 2001-2002. Still, his two-year stint under Bob Pruett were memorable.
One bit of nostalgia sticks out.
My first preseason camp on this job was in 2002, the last year of legitimate, mentally and physically draining two-a-days. One aspect that should be revived was the practice of bringing in newcomers - freshmen, junior-college transfers and transfers from other schools - for two early days.
They received four practices before the returning players arrived to administer that rude welcome to college football. Legg had just one newcomer to coach - Beckley native Matt Morris. Morris, a walk-on who was undersized by major-college standards, used the time wisely and laid the foundation for earring a scholarship.
Legg returned to Marshall in 2010 as new coach Doc Holliday's offensive coordinator. In most cases, coordinators also coach a particular position group, and Legg began with the offensive line.
When Tony Petersen left and current line coach Alex Mirabal arrived in 2013, Legg took over the QBs. At the time, that was a solid transition.
Legg had just guided Rakeem Cato through the installation of a rapid-fire offense, and the Herd went 23-5 with two Conference USA division titles and one championship in the next two seasons.
Fast-forward to the present, the spring after the Herd's 3-9 season, a collapse so disturbing that Legg has shown up with a goatee.
The story: "I got p- off over Christmas and decided not to shave," he said. "Then I shaved the sides and decided to leave it."
Before spring, his position emphasis was shifted to tight ends, with Todd Goebbel going from wide receiver to QBs, Dallas Baker hired for the wideouts and former TE coach Dave Dunn going off the field as recruiting coordinator and defensive analyst.
That provides another good transition for Legg, and he needs it. After the Herd slumped from 45.6 points and 559.2 total yards per game in 2014 to 26.4 and 350.0 in 2016, he was the favorite scapegoat of some fans.
It didn't help the Herd that the right side of the offensive line, Mike Selby and Clint Van Horn, succumbed to injuries, or that wide receivers never seemed to get open on downfield routes. The Herd struggled to run, topping 150 yards only twice (hey to Morgan State, Middle Tennessee), and allowed 28 sacks - the most since 2012.
This year, Legg gets a better look around the offense. Legg has three tight ends to coach, a lot different than coaching four or five QBs constantly.
"During practice is when it's different. I can coach the tight ends more off of film," he said. "As long as I can flash my eyes and see if they're doing the right assignment, than I can get their technique stuff off film. This allows me to move my eyes more around to what's going on.
"Coaching quarterbacks, you've got to see everything they're supposed to be seeing, when they're supposed to see it and how they're supposed to see it. You're not looking at what the receiver's doing, or what the offensive line is doing or the tight ends are doing, or the running backs are doing.
"Now it frees me up a little bit to be more instantaneous with my feedback, as far as on the field."
As for the tight ends, incumbent starter Ryan Yurachek was out last week, meaning more significant reps for redshirt freshman Cody Mitchell and junior-college import Armani Levias.
Mitchell, the 6-foot-2, 233-pound native of Point Pleasant, has the advantage of being in the system for a year. He also has two summers and one offseason in the strength and conditioning program, and he already was a weight-room addict when he came to Huntington.
Levias is one of five midyear juco transfers the Herd signed for an immediate boost. Neither Legg nor I remember an MU tight end signing in that December period, but bear this in mind: In the Holliday era, the Herd hasn't missed often in juco recruits.
Saturday's workout was 147 days before the Sept. 2 opener against Miami (Ohio), and that's a good thing for Levias, a 6-4, 244-pound Californian.
"Armani's got ability, but his head's swimming. This year, even more so," Legg said. "We feel like things we can do are different, taking advantage of personnel ... You can see the processor at times."
The other tight end working is Noah Hoxie, a sophomore who formerly attended the Air Force Academy. He has made some nice plays in the past two weeks, and Legg likens him to Morris.
Around the offense, inexperience is the buzzword. For instance, Legg confirmed that the second-string offensive line, made up of five redshirt freshmen, will remain intact this spring. Three of them, including center Alex Mollette, need to be ready to play by September.
"We'd like to have at least a 'pair and a spare," Legg said. "Three guards, three outside receivers, and so on. You like to have a backup at every spot."
And the starters have to play better than they did a year ago. Legg would admit he has to coach better, and perhaps his position move to tight end is the answer.
Contact Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsmock@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @dougsmock and read his blog at http://blogs.wvgazettemail.com/dougsmock/.