College football | Joe Kinnan back on the football field at USF with former player Willie Taggart

Former Manatee High football coaching legend Joe Kinnan was on the practice field at USF’s first day of spring practice on Monday.

Bulls head coach Willie Taggart said Kinnan’s title is offensive consultant and that he will play an instrumental role in the team’s offensive scheme for the upcoming season.

“He is not coaching, but he is out there. He is consulting,” Taggart said. “He helps a lot on the offensive side of the ball. He gives us a lot of feedback, and we can bounce things off of him.

He is extremely smart, understands the game and keeps It’s good to pick his brain.”

Taggart quarterbacked Manatee High to a state title in 1992 and a state runner-up spot the next season under Kinnan and later became an All-American at Western Kentucky.

“I wasn’t ready to get out of coaching, and this provides a special opportunity to be part of something that involves my former players and coaches,” Kinnan said. “All the pieces seemed to fit together at the right time. We (USF) are spreading the field, and that’s what I did in my last years at Manatee.”

The Bulls' transition to more of a spread seems to fit Kinnan perfectly. He will also be reunited with USF co-offensive coordinator Danny Hope, who coached under Kinnan at Manatee from 1981-84 and is a former head coach at Purdue.

Taggart said he does not know where Kinnan will be during the games, but it is expected he will have an integral part in the Bulls offense.

“Joe knows the game and is a winner. It’s good to have those types of guys around. He sits in on the meetings and observes and during practice walks around the field and observes,” Taggart said. “It’s good to have him working with Danny. They understand each other and more importantly there are no egos there. It’s been great watching those guys in the room together.”

Kinnan said he would probably be in the press box during games, but that has not yet been decided. He is not allowed to coach, but he can offer advice.

“I can’t run a drill, but I can consult, which is familiar territory to me. I can talk to players and coaches.” Kinnan said.

Kinnan still has his house in Bradenton, but said he has rented an apartment in Temple Terrace.

“It’s great to be back on the field. I enjoy it. I wasn’t ready to hang up my hat,” he said.

Kinnan won five state football titles at Manatee before he retired after the 2013 season. Named to the Florida High School Athletic Association’s All-Century Team in 2007, he coached Manatee to 27 district and 14 regional titles and made seven appearances in the state title game.

This story was originally published February 24, 2015 at 2:02 PM with the headline "College football | Joe Kinnan back on the football field at USF with former player Willie Taggart."