HEAD COACH TODD WHITTEN

Todd Whitten is the all-time winningest head coach in Tarleton State football history, now entering his 16th season as the leader of the Texans in 2025. This marks his 21st season as an NCAA head coach (other five seasons were at Sam Houston) and his 38th season of coaching football at any level.

The Texans just posted a historic campaign in 2024, going 10-4 overall and 6-2 in United Athletic Conference play, winning their FCS Playoffs debut against Drake before dropping a tight contest at No. 4 South Dakota in Vermillion in the second round. It was the longest regular season in program history both in number of games played and number of days on the calendar, with Tarleton State opening on Week 0 (a 26-23 win over McNeese on ESPN2) on Aug. 23, and finishing with a 42-31 loss at South Dakota on Dec. 7. On Nov. 30, 13-seed Tarleton hosted Drake in the first round of the FCS Playoffs  winning 43-29 at Memorial Stadium. The Texans became the fifth team in the history of the FCS Playoffs (Division I-AA Playoffs), which goes back 46 years, to win their first playoff game at the FCS level in their first year eligible after reclassifying from NCAA Division II. Two of those five teams comprised of the four-team playoff field in that initial round of the FCS Playoffs – Florida A&M and UMass, in 1978. The other two programs are currently in the FBS; Troy in 1993 and UCF in 1990. The Texans earned the No. 13 seed in the FCS Playoffs among the 24-team field across 129 FCS programs in just their first year of championship eligibility. They had become just the first team fresh off of reclassification to make the playoffs since 2009 (South Dakota State). Tarleton State was named No. 12 in the final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of the season, and No. 13 in the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll of the season. Tarleton State was ranked in both polls every single week of the 2024 campaign, from the preseason through the postseason. The Texans were just one of 11 teams nationwide to never leave the polls, joined by Idaho, Illinois State, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, UC Davis, UIW and Villanova. Tarleton State started 2024 7-1, with a six-game winning streak, their best start and their longest winning streak in the D1 era. The Texans finished second in the UAC. Across the board, Tarleton was ranked No. 22 in total offense and they forced the tied-third most turnovers. Tarleton had both the leading receiver (Darius Cooper at 1,450 yards) and the leading rusher (Kayvon Britten at 1,982) across all of the FCS.

Whitten led Tarleton State through their reclassification period to NCAA Division I after ending Tarleton’s Division II era with back-to-back undefeated regular season Lone Star Conference Championships. In the D1 era across five seasons, Whitten has guided the Texans to winning seasons each year, going 10-4 in 2024, 8-3 in 2023, 6-5 in 2022, 6-5 in 2021 and 5-3 in 2020. Tarleton State has posted eight straight regular seasons with winning records, and 14 of the last 15 seasons under Whitten the team has finished .500 or better. He boasts an NCAA coaching record of 139-85 (.621), including a record at Tarleton of 114-57 (.667), which gives him the most total wins in school history. He owns a 66-23 (.742) home record, taking the Texans to a 21-9 (.700) mark at Memorial Stadium at the D1 level. Tarleton’s reclassification period was special nationwide, as the Texans posted the third highest winning percentage in a reclassification period since 2004 at .610 (25-16). Among all Texas D1 and D2 programs since 2018, the Texans own the best winning percentage in the state at .725 (58-22).

In 2023, the Texans went 8-3 overall, 4-2 in conference play. The Texans finished tied-second in the United Athletic Conference, despite being picked to finish sixth in the 2023 Preseason UAC Coaches Poll, and would have likely received an FCS playoff at-large bid, if eligible. Whitten’s success helped earn him UAC Coach of the Year honors and become one of 20 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, which recognizes the national coach of the year in Division I FCS. A major milestone in Whitten’s career came on Sept. 30 when the Texans defeated Southeastern Louisiana for his 100th win as Tarleton State’s head coach. This made him the 12th coach among current D1 schools in Texas to reach 100 wins with one program. Four weeks later, Whitten led the Texans to a major team accomplishment. Their win over Central Arkansas made them only the third football program since 2004 to post a winning season in each year of their four-year reclassification, joining North Dakota State and South Dakota State. After starting the season 4-3, the Texans finished strong on a four-game winning streak. The two road wins came by a combined margin of three points, while the two at home were each won by 42 points. Perhaps the most entertaining of the bunch was the season finale against Abilene Christian, where Whitten helped engineer a 16-point fourth quarter comeback. This was the team’s largest comeback win in the Division I era, which put a bow on their four years being non-postseason eligible. Tarleton had it going across all three phases in 2023, ranked first in the conference in yards per play (6.4, 11th most nationally), first in rush yards per game (201.7, 12th nationally), first in rush touchdowns (25, 16th nationally), second in points per game (33.3, 13th nationally), second in yards per game (430.5, 14th nationally) and second in yards per rush (5.2, 17th nationally). Defensively, the Texans had the most defensive touchdowns in the conference (four, tied-fourth nationally), were first in fumbles recovered (11, tied-ninth nationally), first in yards per play (4.8, 17th nationally), first in sacks (26, tied-28th nationally), tied-third in takeaways (18, tied-36th nationally), tied-third in tackles for loss (65, tied-39th nationally), and fourth in scoring defense (24.5 points per game, tied-46th nationally). On special teams, Tarleton was first in kickoff return (24.3 yards per return, eighth nationally) and second in punt return (18.2 yards per return, fourth nationally).

In 2022, the Texans averaged their most yards per game at the D1 level at 436.8, the best mark in the Western Athletic Conference. They scored 40+ points four times in 11 games, topping at 49 in the season finale in Tarleton’s 42-point victory against Houston Christian in Stephenville. In that game, Tarleton’s lead running back Derrel Kelley III raced for 239 yards and two touchdowns, reaching the 1,000-yard milestone on the ground at the same time the Texans lead receiver Darius Cooper hit 1,000 yards as well. The Texans averaged the best rushing attack in the WAC at 174.6 yards per game and threw for the second most total passing yards at 2,883.

Whitten guided Tarleton’s first NCAA Division I campaign in the unprecedented spring football season of 2021. The Texans went 5-3 in their first season at the FCS level and earned their first win over a Division I program against FBS Independent New Mexico State on Feb. 21. Tarleton’s first Division I football team ran for 178.9 yards, threw for 231.9 yards and scored 31.9 points per game. Tarleton’s win against Northeastern State (OK) on March 27 was a milestone moment for Whitten and the program. Whitten became Tarleton’s all-time leader in games coached and secured the program’s 500th all-time victory.

Whitten ended Tarleton’s Division II era with back-to-back undefeated regular season Lone Star Conference Championships. In 2019, Whitten guided the Texans to their second consecutive undefeated regular season and Lone Star Conference Championship to earn his fifth LSC Coach of the Year award. On Sept. 29, Tarleton blasted UT Permian Basin in Odessa 49-7 to deliver Whitten’s 72nd career coaching win to break W.J. Wisdom’s school record of 71 that had stood tall since 1935. Tarleton boasted the fourth-best scoring offense in the country (45.0 PPG) and had 10 different players named to five different All-America teams, including WR Zimari Manning who made a clean sweep with five, first-team All-America honors. Whitten’s Texans set a new program standard by moving up to the No. 3 ranking in the country by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The Texans finished the season ranked No. 9 in the country.

In just his third season back with the Texans (2018), Whitten led the biggest turnaround in the country and guided the Texans to their best season in program history. The Texans posted the first of two straight undefeated regular seasons en route to the first outright Lone Star Conference title in program history. Tarleton had regular season road wins at No. 7 Texas A&M-Commerce – the defending National Champions – and No. 10 Midwestern State to claim the conference title. The Texans outscored opponents 45-16 per game and the Texans set numerous program records for total points (585), rushing yards (4,301) and total yards (6,709) to have a top-five offense in the country. Tarleton earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Division II football playoffs – the highest seed in program history. The Texans hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA playoffs, coming away with victories over No. 24 Azusa Pacific (58-0) and a rematch with No. 15 Texas A&M-Commerce (34-28). It was the first time in school history the Texans won 12 games in a season and advanced to the NCAA regional finals. Tarleton ended the season with the highest ranking in program history, finishing ranked No. 5 in the AFCA poll. Tarleton boasted a school-record 24 all-conference players that season, including six All-Americans.

In just his final two seasons in NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference, Whitten’s Texans were not without their fair share of league, region and national accolades. Tarleton had 45 all-LSC selections in those two seasons, including the 2019 LSC Offensive Player of the Year (QB Ben Holmes), 2019 LSC Receiver of the Year (WR Zimari Manning), 2019 LSC Defensive Player of the Year (DE B.J. Jefferson), 2019 LSC Defensive Lineman of the Year (DT Jordan Wells), 2018 LSC Offensive Lineman of the Year (OT Deon Sheppard) and back-to-back LSC Offensive Backs of the Year (RBs Xavier Turner and Daniel McCants) and LSC Defensive Backs of the Year (CBs Devin Hafford and Prince Robinson). Tarleton had 16 All-Americans in those two seasons, all of which earned regional acclaim in addition to the national. In 2019, Zimari Manning had the highest finish by a WR in the Harlon Hill voting since 1991 by finishing third in the race for the best player in NCAA Division II.

Whitten made his return to the Tarleton on Dec. 3, 2015, and was tasked with turning around the program. This marked the 28th head coaching change in the history of Tarleton football, as Whitten became one of 24 different men to lead the Texans. He joined legendary coach W.J. Wisdom as one of two coaches with three different tenures as Tarleton’s head football coach.

“I’m coming home,” said Whitten at the time of his hiring. “I’m very excited to be back at Tarleton. This is a very special place and it’s an incredible job. I’m very thankful to be chosen.”

He made an immediate impact in his return by resurrecting a 3-7 season from the year before and led Tarleton into the final two games of the season with a chance to win the Lone Star Conference championship in his first season back. He followed up in 2017 by leading Tarleton to its first winning regular season since 2013 and the fifth bowl game invitation in program history.

During his first two stints at Tarleton, Whitten was no stranger to awards and championships.

Before taking over the program in 1996 for one season, Tarleton had a record of 4-16-1 since joining the NCAA in 1994. Whitten turned things around following a 1-10 season in 1995 by leading the Texans to a 5-5 record in his first season, which was enough to garner him the LSC Coach of the Year award for that season.

After a three-year hiatus as the offense coordinator for Wyoming and Sam Houston State, Whitten made his return to Stephenville to build Tarleton into a national powerhouse. Whitten came back in 2000 and turned Tarleton around once again with a 6-5 record to open the new century.

In the second season of his return stint, Whitten’s Texans entered uncharted territory with a 10-3 mark to claim the school’s first Lone Star Conference championship and division championship en route to their first trip to the NCAA playoffs. He would go on to boast a record of 17-6 over the next two seasons, each of which garnered his third and fourth LSC Coach of the Year awards, and Tarleton returned to the NCAA playoffs in 2003.

Before becoming a coach, Whitten was a star athlete at Dallas Kimball High School and Stephen F. Austin University – where he was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2001. He was a three-year starter at quarterback and a three-year starter in the outfield during baseball season. He was drafted in the 17th round of the 1983 Major League Baseball Draft by Philadelphia out of Kimball High School, but declined to make his way to Stephen F. Austin. After his dual-sport career with the Lumberjacks, Whitten signed a free agent contract to play quarterback for the New England Patriots in 1987.

After playing for the Patriots in 1987, Whitten traded the helmet for the headset as he went back to school as a graduate assistant coach at Texas Tech to begin his coaching career. He earned his first full-time coaching job at New Mexico State in 1990, where he spent four seasons before heading to El Paso, where he spent two seasons at UTEP.

Whitten left UTEP for his first head coaching position at Tarleton in 1996 before leaving for Wyoming the following year.

After his second stint at Tarleton from 2000-04, Whitten returned to Sam Houston for his first Division I head coaching opportunity. He spent five seasons with the Bearkats. From there, he spent two seasons at Lamar, one year at Arlington Heights High School, and the last three years at UTEP before coming back to Tarleton in December 2015.

Whitten earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Stephen F. Austin in 1987 and a master’s degree in sports administration from Texas Tech in 1990. He resides in Stephenville with his wife, Dana. The couple has three sons – Brady, Blaze, and Tate – and a daughter, Maddie.