WATCH: Longhorn Extra with Texas TE coach Corby Meekins

The Longhorn Network is interviewing most of the Texas Longhorns new coaching staff members this spring as part of a series titled “Longhorn Extra.”

The latest edition features tight ends coach Corby Meekins, one of many coaches who followed Tom Herman from Houston to the ‘Horns.

Alex Loeb handles interviewing duties:

Meekins is a 1990 Sam Houston State grad who spent 15 years as Westfield High in Houston, the last 10 as head coach. He outlines his view of where the tight ends fit into Herman’s offense.

“The tight end pretty much ties the whole offense together,” Meekins says. “It brings the passing game and the running game together. Outside of the quarterback, the position has a lot on its plate.”

Tight ends are used in blocking, but also in running vertical routes and underneath routes in the passing game. Meekins points out that Texas tight ends had six catches last year, whereas Houston’s had 30 in the regular season.

“That’s where we should be, between 30 to 45 catches per year,” he says.

Meekins met Herman through recruiting in 2001 when Meekins was at Westfield and Herman coached at Sam Houston. The pair didn’t really see each other from 2009 to 2014, but once Herman landed the Houston job he picked up the phone and gave Meekins a call.

“He asked me if I wanted to be part of the staff if he got the job, and I said ‘absolutely,’” Meekins says.

That phone call has now led Meekins to coaching on the Forty Acres. That said, he still considers serving on the board of the Texas High School Coaches Association as his greatest professional accomplishment, and says he’ll always be a high school coach.

“I realize every day when I wake up that I have to do a great job so I can open doors for other high school coaches to get the same opportunity.”