WKU Football: Helton’s New Approach Bodes Well For His Tenure
As a WKU Football alum, it pains me to see some guys flounder after college. I had multiple conversations with some guys as they were leaving The Hill, and new conversations were had at the annual spring game.
“Matt, I don’t know what I’m going to do after football.”
“You think I can make the league?”
“What do I do if I can’t make it?”
“I just play football. That’s all I do.”
“You don’t realize how tough it is to move on after you’re done.”
This is something that has stuck in my craw since I graduated in the spring of 2014. What are the Tops doing to bring people back? What are we doing to help people that need help? Is this a Hilltopper family or not?
Quickly, I just want to say that after Bobby Petrino closed all doors to anyone not directly helping him get the bleep out of Bowling Green as soon as possible, all three WKU head coaches have had fairly open doors to people trying to help out or be involved in the program. Some more than others, but all three were approachable.
I sat down with Jeff Brohm and talked for nearly an hour about my future in 2015.
I sat down with Coach Sanford and talked to him about doing a financial education class. (I’m an insurance agent and I feel like it’s something that could help college kids and coaches think and learn about something other than football.)
Coach Sanford and his staff made significant efforts to reach out to former alumni. Give the man credit for caring and trying to create some much needed sustainable infrastructure.
A WKU Football Alumni page was started under Sanford. A WKU Football Equipment Alumni page was started last week. Equipment Managers Union: UNITE! (EMU for short)
New head coach Tyson Helton has continued that and expanded upon the strides that Mike Sanford made reaching back out to alumni. The night before and the morning of the Spring Game, we had some meetings and hangouts with Topper Football alumni.
Coach Helton and some staff members who had previously been at WKU like Nick Uhlenhopp, Garrett Schwettman, and Blair Vaughn held an open discussion with a collection of WKU Football alumni the morning of the spring game.
Coach Helton and his dad, who is also on staff, had plenty to say about what they’re hoping for going forward. Tyson talked about how USC has an unbelievable network that can be accessed nationwide and used for the benefit of anyone to network for business, bring certain old teams together, and generally create a way to connect with old teammates.
An organization like that, perhaps not on such a national scale (because WKU will likely never have the brand of a USC), would be their dream. In essence, the idea is whether they are here for a couple of years or decades, this infrastructure is put in place and is an expectation.
These kinds of things haven’t happened on The Hill consistently. It’s an encouraging sign, and Topper fans should feel good about the character of its head coach and staff and know that should translate to the players on and off the field. Not only is it encouraging, but it is extremely valuable.
Perhaps you’re reading this, and you’re a former Topper manager, trainer, video staffer, or other support staff. Maybe you’re a former player or coach. Feel good about alumni relations. They’re trying to show that they care and bring people back into the fold. I think it’s great. Let me know if you need an invite to one of the pages, and take time to fill out a quick survey to help create a database of former athletes.
Maybe you’re just a fan. Maybe you went to Western. Maybe you didn’t. I think it’s important for you to see that the Tops actually care about the student-athletes and former members of the WKU Football program. These coaches are not just robots trying to find the next lily pad to leapfrog onto.
So how does this affect Helton and the Tops? Ultimately, a rising tide lifts all boats. Bringing in more alumni means more camaraderie and more opportunities for current players to interact with old famous faces. There’s nothing more exciting for a current WKU Football player than meeting an alum who’s a current NFL player.
More involved alums mean more appearances by alums at football and other games. More fan interest means more attendance and donations.
These are good signs, and frankly, WKU needs to get more organized if it wants to fight the current financial demons, like budget cuts, lack of TV money, and a lack of recent postseason success across the board. Losing out on the NCAA Tournament for several years and a couple of years with no bowl game has severely hurt both cash flow and visibility for the Tops.
Helton and crew are doing their part. This kind of grassroots recruiting and fundraising effort should pay off and put WKU as a whole in a better position. The average WKU fan should feel good about these men in charge of leading WKU Football heading into the 2019 football season.
The more character the head coach and staff exudes, the more the players grasp onto and respect them while impressing the fans and making them feel good about where they put their money.
Ultimately, football is about winning, but how do you get there? You get there by bringing people along with you for the ride. Leaving them stranded and trying to do it all by yourself either end up in temporary success or semi-permanent ruin. Helton is trying to win.
