WKU turns back the clock by hiring Helton to take over football program

Helton is returning to the program where he led one of the nation’s top offenses in 2014 and ‘15.

Helton, 41, met with Hilltopper players on Tuesday morning and was introduced at an afternoon news conference. WKU enjoyed a highly successful stretch with Helton running the offense under Jeff Brohm, now at Purdue.

The Toppers went 12-2 and won the Conference USA championship in 2015 with record-breaking quarterback Brandon Doughty and finished No. 24 in the Top 25. A former quarterback at Houston under his father Kim, Helton spent last season with the Volunteers after two years working under his brother, Clay Helton, at USC. He also worked at Cincinnati in 2013 and UAB from 2007-12.

“Why did I come back to WKU? This is a place that can be successful and that can win championships,” Helton said. “I think this is the best community in America, and I’ve enjoyed Bowling Green more than anywhere else that I’ve lived.

“We have people here at WKU that are committed to winning. I had the chance to meet some of the coaches in other sports here at WKU, and all of them are willing to do anything to help you be successful.”

Helton promised to return the Hilltoppers to an uptempo offensive attack.

“I want to come back to an exciting brand of football. When I was here, the fans never sat down, and that is my goal,” he said. “I want every time that we throw the football, everybody to take a deep breath. If I’m criticized, I want to be criticized for trying to make plays. ...

“Our offense will be very similar to what we ran in 2014 and 2015. We need to be creative and aggressive. When our fans come to the stadium, I want to put on a show for them in all three phases of the game.”

Helton replaces Mike Sanford, who was fired on Sunday after going 9-19 over two years, including 3-9 this season. His job will be restoring the Hilltoppers to their former offensive glory and make them a winning program after stepping back under Sanford. They ranked 103rd nationally in total offense at 363.7 yards per game and lost six in a row before regrouping to win their final two games.

That strong finish wasn’t enough to save Sanford’s job as WKU closed its first losing regular since going 2-10 in 2010 under first-year coach Willie Taggart. Along the way, Stewart began identifying candidates and zeroed in on Helton because of his previous time with the program and the energy he created.

“The Tyson Helton that is in front of you today is better than the Tyson Helton that was here at WKU in 2014 and 2015,” WKU Athletics Director Todd Stewart said. “The challenges that he faced at USC and Tennessee have helped to make him the perfect fit for our job. ...

“He will bring energy to our program. He will instill confidence in our program. The impact that he has had on our program and our former players speaks volumes. Every decision we make is in the best interest of our players, and this decision is no different.”