Todd Helton was officially named the ninth Athletic Director in Southwestern Oklahoma State University history on October 8, 2020. Helton, who is the longest tenured member of the SWOSU Athletic Department, is now in his 11th year in Athletics Administration following a 24-year coaching career for the Bulldog Football program.
Helton replaced Bulldog legend Kelli Litsch as Assistant Athletic Director and Compliance Coordinator at the end of the 2013-14 school year and he was elevated to Associate Athletic Director in August 2019. His duties in that role include coordinating and leading the athletics rules compliance program in accordance with NCAA, Great American Conference and SWOSU rules and regulations while serving as the assistant director of athletic budgets, event management, special events and fundraising.
Since moving into Athletics Administration, Helton has been an active member on various NCAA committees. He currently serves on the NCAA Division II Football Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) for the Central Region in addition to being a member of the NCAA Eligibility Center Advisory Committee.
A Class of 2010 SWOSU Hall of Fame Inductee, Helton was a standout defensive lineman for the Bulldogs from 1986-89. He helped the Bulldogs to back-to-back winning seasons in his final two years and in 1989 he was named a First Team NAIA All-American. Helton graduated with 197 career tackles and 15 sacks, ranking among the school's all-time leaders for defensive lineman.
After graduation, Helton joined the SWOSU Athletic Department headed by Cecil Perkins and coached football for 24 years. He served under three different head coaches – Paul Sharp, Ryan Held and Dan Cocannouer – and provided a constant link between the past and present of the Bulldog Football program. He held the position Defensive Coordinator from 2005-14 before stepping away from the sideline and into administration.
During a coaching career that spanned from 1990-2014, Helton helped the Bulldogs to four conference championships while coaching 10 All-Americans and countless all-conference selections. Helton was also on staff as the Bulldogs started a streak of three straight winning seasons, which included an appearance in the Aztec Bowl in 1991 and a trip to the NAIA National Playoffs in 1992 after they finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in the country.
The banner season for the SWOSU Football program followed in 1996 as the Bulldogs defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State (17-7) and Montana Tech (33-31) at Milam Stadium to claim the program’s lone NAIA National Championship. The 1996 season marked SWOSU’s last as an NAIA institution and Helton helped with the transition of SWOSU Athletics from NAIA to NCAA Division II.
In addition to his coaching duties, Helton served on various campus committees while he was a faculty member teaching in the Department of Kinesiology from 1993-13.
A native of Perryton, Texas, Helton holds two degrees from SWOSU, earning his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology in 1991 and a master's degree in Education in 1993. He has two daughters, Kennedie and Ireland Helton.
THE HELTON FILE
Administrative Career
Southwestern Oklahoma State University (2014-Present)
- Athletic Director (Oct. 2020-Present)
- Interim Athletic Director (June 2020-Oct. 2020)
- Associate Athletic Director (2019-Present)
- Assistant Athletic Director / Compliance Coordinator (2014-19)
Coaching Career
Southwestern Oklahoma State University (1990-2014)
- Student Assistant (1990)
- Graduate Assistant (1991-92)
- Defensive Line Coach (1993-04)
- Defensive Coordinator (2005-14)
Playing Career
Southwestern Oklahoma State University (1986-89)
- NAIA Division I First Team All-American (1989)
- NAIA District Nine First Team (1989)
- All-Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference First Team (1989)
- NAIA Division I Honorable Mention All-American (1988)
- NAIA District Nine Second Team (1988)
- All-Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference First Team (1988)
Education
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
- Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology, May 1991
- Masters of Education, May 1993
