Tarleton State has extended the contract for head coach Todd Whitten through the 2027 season, pending approval from the Texas A&M Board of Regents. Whitten has a long history as Tarleton State’s head coach going back to 1996, albeit a history with several breaks between his separate tenures.
He was named head coach of the Texans in 1996, posting a 5-5 overall record and a 2-5 conference record in the Lone Star Conference but departed after one season. After a couple of stops at Wyoming and Sam Houston State as an assistant, Whitten returned to Tarleton State as head coach in 2000. He coached the Texans for 5 seasons going 40-18 with a winning record each year and making two Division II playoff appearances. He took over the head coaching role at Sam Houston State in 2005 at the FCS level but could not turn it into a powerhouse going 25-28 in five seasons with the Bearkats. Between 2010 and 2015, he was an assistant coach at Lamar, Arlington Heights High School, and UTEP before returning as the head coach at Tarleton State in 2016.
After posting 5-6 and 6-6 records in 2016 and 2017, respectively, Whitten led the Texans to back-to-back double-digit win seasons in 2018 and 2019. Tarleton opened the 2018 campaign 10-0 heading into the Division II playoffs. After winning the first and second-round games, the Texans lost the Quarterfinal 13-10 to Minnesota State and finished 12-1. The Texans started the 2019 season 11-0 heading into the playoffs but lost the first-round game 23-16 to Texas A&M-Commerce finishing 11-1 overall.
Whitten has helped oversee Tarleton State’s reclassification from Division II to the FCS, which began in 2020. The Texans won their first game at the FCS level in the delayed spring season with an emphatic 43-17 win against FBS’ New Mexico State. The Texans have posted a winning record in all four years of the transition with Whitten holding an overall record of 104-53 in his three stints with Tarleton State.
Tarleton State’s 2024 season will begin on Saturday, August 31 at Baylor. The Texans will be eligible for the FCS Playoffs for the first time in 2024 following the completion of its reclassification from Division II. The program is coming off an 8-3 season in 2023 and finished in a four-way tie for second place in the United Athletic Conference with Whitten being named UAC’s Coach of the Year.
Photo Credit to Tarleton State University Athletics
