Wide receiver Tony Tate (1) is among the key players of offense that WIU must replace this off-season. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)

Myers Hendrickson stood at the lectern Monday at Western Hall in Macomb, fired up to take on his new job at his old school.

The common thread he has with his players is that he was one of them, having played wide receiver for WIU, graduating in 2011.

To former players and administrators, his advantage is simple: He speaks the Leatherneck language.

“Macomb is where my heart and soul is,” said Hendrickson, the son of former WIU head coach Mark Hendrickson and a Macomb High School graduate. “I’m excited to be back.”

On the field, the challenges are substantial.

Western has won a combined three games over the past two seasons and hasn’t been in the FCS playoffs since 2017.

Hendrickson must replace a record-setting quarterback and two-thirds of a dynamic wide receiver corps that produced nearly half of the team’s receptions and receiving yards.

How does he revamp an offense losing multiple key pieces?

That’s one of five key questions facing the Leathernecks this off-season.

How will the Leathernecks’ personality be defined under Hendrickson?

The new coach spoke at length Monday about his expectations for a team that “is a model Missouri Valley Football Conference program” both on and off the field.

“What you’ll see is a really excited, hungry and humble football team that’s ready to play a physical brand of Leatherneck football and then do everything right off the field – in the community, in the classroom and on campus here at WIU,” Hendrickson said.

His Kansas Wesleyan teams won 30 games in three seasons as head coach while volunteering for 1,000 hours in the community, according to WIU’s announcement.

On the field, KWU featured a four-receiver spread offense that averaged nearly 500 yards a game. On defense, an attacking style produced the sixth-most sacks in NAIA last season (36), along with a whopping 86 tackles for loss. (The NAIA’s website does not keep tabs on national TFL leaders.)

2. Can Western find some balance on offense?

Despite having the top-ranked passing attack in the MVFC at 301 yards a game, Western managed only 62 yards a game on the ground, which ranked last in the 11-team conference and 122nd nationally among 123 FCS programs. The 10th-ranked rushing attack in the MVFC – Indiana State – averaged 110 yards. Western desperately needs to put some pep into its run game.

Hendrickson’s Kansas Wesleyan team last season was a portrait of offensive balance, averaging 302 passing yards and 188 rush yards. KWU scored 39 passing TDs last season and 28 on the ground by nine different ball carriers.

3. What will the WIU roster look like this fall?

Expect plenty of new faces. Last season’s Kansas Wesleyan roster included more than 60 players who started their careers at a junior college or another four-year college or university. According to WIU athletics, 23 players were honored at Senior Day this fall, including nine players who started the season finale.

On offense, the biggest losses come in the pass game, with record-setting QB Connor Sampson and standout wide receivers Dennis Houston and Tony Tate completing their eligibility. Houston and Tate were responsible for nearly half of the Leathernecks’ receptions and receiving yards.

Defensively, big-play safety Michael Lawson will attempt to take his vast talents to the next level.

4. Who takes over at quarterback?

Sampson’s backup this season, Henry Ogala, did not attempt a pass during the fall season.

Three players listed as sophomores also were on the roster this season, including Clay Bruno, who won a state championship at Illinois prep powerhouse Rochester High School as a senior. Junior college transfer Nick Davenport and Dylan Tabone, who played high school football in Canada, also were on the roster.

Kansas Wesleyan favored a four-receiver offense, so expect the Leathernecks to continue putting the ball in the air to test opposing defenses.

With a gazillion players (well, not that many but you get the picture) in the transfer portal, that’s also a possibility for a team seeking game experience at the position.

5. Will the schedule do WIU any favors?

In a word … no. According to FBSchedules.com, Western opens with road games at Ohio Valley Conference champion UT-Martin and Big Ten Conference member Minnesota before its Sept. 17 home opener against Southern Utah, which finished 1-10 a year ago.

Though the Leathernecks miss North Dakota and 2021 FCS playoff participant South Dakota in the MVFC schedule rotation, WIU opens the conference season with five playoff qualifiers in the first six games – Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Southern Illinois, Missouri State and North Dakota State. Only two of those games – UNI and NDSU – will be played in Macomb.