Tyson Helton is a successful head coach in the Group of Five ranks and could get calls to make a jump sooner rather than later. This is a thought Western Kentucky fans should’ve started having in 2021, and will certainly have towards the close of the season.
In 2018, the Hilltoppers ended the season at 3-9, finishing at the bottom of the Conference USA East Division with a 2-6 conference record. The offense ranked 118th nationally and the defense at 76th. This was certainly no place to be.
So, Western Kentucky made a phone call to a familiar face that was coaching just south of Bowling Green, Kentucky in Knoxville, Tennessee: Helton, the offensive coordinator for the Volunteers, who just three seasons prior, held the same role on The Hill.
Between 2014 and 2015, Helton sparked an offensive movement in Western Kentucky, where legendary Hilltopper quarterback Brandon Doughty threw for 9,885 yards, 97 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions on a 69.87% completion rate. At the same time, the team posted three 1,000-plus yard receivers in Taywan Taylor (1,469 yards, 17 touchdowns), Anthony Wales (1,311 yards, 11 touchdowns), and Nicholas Norris (1,034 yards, seven touchdowns). Running back Leon Allen rushed for 1,542 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2014, then Wales rushed for 1,086 yards and nine touchdowns on top of his receiving performance. The team ultimately went 20-7 across two seasons (12-2 in 2015), won the Bahamas Bowl in 2014, won the Conference-USA in 2015, ranked 25th nationally in 2015, and won the Miami Beach Bowl.
Ultimately, that was a legendary time in Hilltoppers history, making Helton’s return to the Hill an exciting moment for the fanbase and a beacon of hope for WKU Athletics.
In Helton’s first season in 2019, he pulled the team from 3-9 to 9-4, winning the First Responder Bowl. Then in the 2020 COVID-19 campaign, the team went 5-7. Ultimately, the program bounced back in 2021, with Bailey Zappe’s record-breaking season that saw the current New England Patriot throw for 5,967 yards, 62 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His passing yards and passing touchdowns single-season records broke the ones previously held by Joe Burrow. The team finished with a 9-5 record (7-1 in conference), winning the C-USA East and taking home the Boca Raton Bowl.
In 2022, Helton finished with a 9-5 record (6-2 C-USA), including a New Orleans Bowl victory and the second overall passing offense in the nation, led by current quarterback Austin Reed.
With a record-breaking offensive history and a current 35-23 record (24-8 in conference), a 3-1 postseason record, and a division title: higher institutions will come calling.
Here’s who those schools may be:
Nevada:
Currently 0-5, the Wolfpack has had a tough going at it. The Mountain West team is 2-15 under current head coach Ken Wilson and hasn’t shown any sign of improvement.
Indiana
One would be hard-pressed to find any future where Tom Allen sticks around following the Hoosiers 2023 campaign. The team last posted a winning season in 2020 amidst a pandemic. Since then, Indiana is 8-18, coming off of a 2-10 2021 and a 4-8 2022.
Virginia
It could be likely that Virginia gives Tony Elliott his final season in 2024, but it’s going to be a very hot seat. The Cavaliers finished 3-7 in 2022 and 1-6 in conference play, and currently stands at 0-5 overall, 0-2 in conference play.
Boston College
Jeff Hafley has kept the Eagles in a very stagnant state, but the team is regressing. After 6-5 and 6-6 records in 2020 and 2021, BC fell to 3-9 in 2022 and sits at 2-3 in their 2023 campaign thus far. They’ve fallen in the recruiting class rankings, too, showing no signs of a future investment.
Michigan State
After an enticing 2021 that saw the Spartans ranked ninth in the nation, finishing 11-2 and winning the Big 12 - they’ve fallen off. Hard. Mel Tucker has been fired for gross behavior, but not before taking the Spartans to a 5-7 2022 record. Currently, MSU’s Harlon Barrett has taken over as the interim head coach and the program sits at 2-3, 0-2 in conference play.
Arkansas
An SEC program. Head coach Sam Pittman, in his fourth season, has found himself on the hot seat after a 3-5 record in conference play in 2022 and a weak 2-3 record in 2023, including zero wins through two conference games. Pittman is 21-20 with the program and could be facing his last season as a Razorback.
As it currently stands, Helton appears to be happy and content in his role as a Hilltopper and is enjoying the winning, high-octane offensive culture he’s built this program around. Nothing currently indicates that Helton will leave anytime soon, so Hilltopper fans can breathe.
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