Photo by Marshall University Athletics .
Photo by Austin O ' Connor .
coached different positions and have had to learn and teach different aspects of the game , which I think helps when you become a head coach because you have a wider knowledge base of the individuals in your program ,” he says . “ If you ’ ve always coached quarterbacks , you see the game and think like a quarterback . I have coached multiple positions , so I know how different groups learn and receive information and what motivates them .”
One of the things Huff is most excited about is Marshall ’ s strong tie to the community .
“ The plane crash and the rebirth have forever tied these two entities together ,” he says . “ There are a lot of universities that have a lot of tradition and history , but because of where the world has gone now , people come and go , people move and bounce around . There are very few universities that have such a deep connection to the community . Marshall is Huntington , and Huntington is Marshall . Those strings are tied tightly , and that separates this university from a lot of other places .”
While Huff has already taken steps to learn and honor Marshall ’ s history and
traditions , he also wants to make sure the university never stops moving forward .
“ I want our players and our community to understand that in order for us to grow and benefit from this history , we have to continue to move forward ,” he says . “ That is not forgetting the past but instead understanding that as great we did in ’ 74 , ’ 75 , the ’ 80s and ’ 99 , those memories aren ’ t going to help us make plays now . We have to continue to step forward and evolve .”
For Huff , this evolution includes helping new students , players and community members create their own memories and histories in Huntington . He plans to do this by immersing himself in the Huntington community .
“ This university represents something the world needs , and it is our job to tell the story ,” he says . “ I think the world needs a little bit of community and connection , a little bit of a tragic story with a great rise and a little bit of hope . I think the world needs a little bit of ‘ yes , we ’ ve been knocked down , but we are not knocked out ,’ and I think Marshall is the vehicle to tell that story .”
One of Huff ’ s biggest challenges as he
Congratulations
to Roya Maher on being named a Sharp Shooter by West Virginia Executive magazine . We are so happy to be a part of your A3L team !
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE