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Black Sunday has come and gone. So far, only two C-USA coaches have been shown the door: Brad Lambert was told we would not be retained at Charlotte before hs 49ers upset FAU, and young Mike Sanford is at WKU after a 3 win season in Bowling Green.


The Hilltoppers seem to be moving quickly in finding Sanford's replacement. Reports are now coming out saying that WKU has tapped Tennessee OC Tyson Helton to become WKU's fifth head coach in eight years.



Old Dominion will be looking for a new defensive coordinator.
UTSA will be looking for a new offensive coordinator.

It will be interesting to see if the North Texas gig opens up as Seth Littrell's name is mentioned in some P5 vacancies.

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The good news is Helton ran the SEC's 2nd WORST O! Even SEC Tennessee at home could only score 14 on UNCC!!!!!!!! We did 10 better than that at least!!!!
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A familiar face with a championship pedigree is back on The Hill as former WKU offensive coordinator Tyson Helton, a Conference USA and Rose Bowl Champion, has been named the 21st head football coach at Western Kentucky University.
 
Helton, who met with his new team on Tuesday morning, will be formally introduced to the public at a Noon press conference in the Jack and Jackie Harbaugh Club at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium today.
 
“When determining our next head football coach, there were many qualities we felt this person must have.  Certainly they needed to have an excellent football mind, but also be a tremendous person who was respected inside and outside of the locker room.  We found that person in Tyson Helton,” WKU Director of Athletics Todd Stewart said. “His background as an innovative offensive mind and a great motivator of his players fit our mission to find the next great leader for our football program. We are thrilled to bring Tyson and his wonderful family back to WKU.”
 
“I am pleased to welcome Tyson Helton back to the WKU family,” said Western Kentucky University President Dr. Timothy Caboni. “He is an outstanding fit for Western Kentucky University and his work to build a football program that competes for championships will advance our department of athletics and enhance the national reputation of WKU.”
 
Helton returns to WKU three years removed from the 2015 football season which ended with WKU’s final Associated Press ranking of 24 – the highest in school history – and a school-record 12 victories, including the first-ever FBS conference championship. Helton’s tenure coincided with quarterback Brandon Doughty’s astronomical ascension up the NCAA’s career record book and total rewriting of the program’s own offensive records.
 
 
WKU broke more than two dozen school offensive records under Helton, including the points scored record in each of his two years.  The Hilltopper offense was in the national Top 10 in 2015 in passing efficiency (1st, 177.4), scoring (3rd, 44.3), passing (4th, 372.2), first downs (8th, 349) and total yards (9th, 526.4).
 
In 2014, WKU became the first NCAA program with a 4,500-yard passer and 1,500-yard rusher while winning the Bahamas Bowl to finish 8-4.  That season, they were second nationally in passing (374.3), fourth in total offense (534.6) and sixth in scoring offense (44.4) and first downs (351).
 
Helton was among four finalists for the 2015 FootballScoop.com Offensive Coordinator of the Year Award.  He coached quarterback Brandon Doughty to back-to-back Conference USA MVP honors as he threw 97 touchdown passes in 2014 and 2015 (the most in NCAA history in consecutive seasons).  Doughty led the nation in 2015 in completion percentage (71.9), passing touchdowns (48), passing yards (5,055) and points responsible for (304) while ranking second in passing efficiency (176.5).  That came off a 2014 campaign in which he threw for national bests of 4,830 yards and 49 TDs while winning the Sammy Baugh Award from the Touchdown Club of Columbus as the nation’s top quarterback.  Wide receiver Taywan Taylor ranked second in the nation in 2015 in receiving touchdowns (17) and was third in receiving yards (1,467), both school season records as was his 86 receptions.  Fellow receiver Jared Dangerfield had 82 catches in 2015, second most in school history.
 
THE TYSON HELTON FILE
PERSONAL
Born: June 20, 1977
Hometown: Gainesville, Fla.
High School: Clements HS
College: Houston, `99
Wife: April
Children: Shelby, Presley, Cole, Clay
 
PLAYING CAREER (Quarterback)
High School: Clements High
College: Houston (1996-99)
 
COACHING CAREER
2000: Hawai'i (Graduate Assistant)
2001-03: Hawai'i (Special Teams)
2004-06: Memphis (Tight Ends/Special Teams)
2007-11: UAB (Quarterbacks)
2012: UAB (Running Backs)
2013: Cincinnati (Tight Ends/Special Teams)
2014-15: WKU (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2016-17: USC (Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2018: Tennessee (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2019: WKU (Head Coach)
 
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT TYSON HELTON
 
Former WKU All-American offensive lineman Forrest Lamp on Tyson Helton:
“Coach Helton is the kind of coach who makes you feel like family. His knowledge for the game is unmatchable, but even more importantly, his passion exceeds any player or coach that I have ever had. His passion for the game and pregame speeches are what I remember most about Coach Helton other than our high scoring offense. He will literally make you want to run through a wall for him. He truly takes it upon himself to make sure we were as prepared as possible and raring to go on game day. I couldn’t think of anyone better to help take WKU to the next level.”
 
Former WKU quarterback Mike White on Tyson Helton:
“Coach Helton played a big role in my development during my time with him on The Hill. He helped teach me what it took to be a successful college quarterback on and off the field. He is the epitome of a vocal leader, and the locker room always rallied behind him when he was at WKU. I think Coach Helton will be a great head coach and the guys will really enjoy playing for him.”
 
Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt on Tyson Helton:
“Congratulations to Tyson Helton on being named the head coach at Western Kentucky. I’m grateful to Tyson for the hard work he put in this season and his help in setting the foundation for future success at the University of Tennessee. Tyson is an outstanding coach. I wish him the best and I expect he will do a great job at WKU.”
 
Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer on Tyson Helton:
“I am very excited for Tyson Helton and his opportunity to become the head coach at WKU. Tyson is very well prepared to make this transition and has a great pedigree. His experience will serve him well, and he’ll do an outstanding job. Tyson has a great demeanor and a way with people, and his integrity is beyond reproach.  His work ethic and people skills are tremendous.  As a head coach, you have to be comfortable in any kind of situation, whether it be in recruiting or with donors selling the program, and I think he will do a great job in those areas.”
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Word of a sound hire coming across the wires from Charlotte. JMU's Mike Houston will be the second head coach in Charlotte 49er football history. In the three years Houston spent in Harrisonburg, he coached the Dukes to an FCS National Championship in 2016. At this time, it is unknown if he will continue to coach the Dukes as they are amidst the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs.


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Jack D Whidden III said

Word of a sound hire coming across the wires from Charlotte. JMU's Mike Houston will be the second head coach in Charlotte 49er football history. In the three years Houston spent in Harrisonburg, he coached the Dukes to an FCS National Championship in 2016. At this time, it is unknown if he will continue to coach the Dukes as they are amidst the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs.


Posted On: Nov 28th 2018, 6:43 PM #383836

Solid hire.

GO OWLS!
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Agree - Houston has quickly moved up the ranks, and has been successful everywhere he has been.  Still a pretty young guy, good recruiter, understands the NC/SC/GA/VA recruiting scene, and is a North Carolinian.  Charlotte has some money, and I think they will get better under him.
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Already have beaten us twice I out house!!!  :Bomb:
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Jack D Whidden III said

Word of a sound hire coming across the wires from Charlotte.
Posted On: Nov 28th 2018, 6:43 PM #383836

May not be done yet. Pete Thamel tweeted out East Carolina is now making a run for Houston
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UNCC withdraws job offer to Houston!

Personally I don't see UNCC as much of a better job than JMU!
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Wow, what a turn of events in Charlotte! New Athletic Director Mike Hill has pulled Charlotte's offer to Mike Houston after reports of Houston being interested in the recent opening at ECU.

"We withdrew a contract offer that had been negotiated in good faith with Coach Houston and his representatives. This was based on the fact that (on Thursday), Coach Houston informed us that he had interest in exploring other head coaching opportunities, while remaining under consideration here." -Charlotte Athletic Director Mike Hill.

This is nuts. Houston did the right thing by being up front with the Charlotte administration that he could be interested in other gigs. Charlotte had to play pre-emptive damage control so their in-state rivals did not have another chance to belittle their fledging program.

When I'm not in school, I'm schooling the CUSA Twitter game; Follow Me Here
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