JONESBORO — Arkansas State Coach Steve Roberts didn’t have to look too far to find his new offensive coordinator.
A quick trip just across the state line was all Roberts needed.
On Thursday, the Red Wolves announced that former Memphis offensive coordinator Clay Helton, 37,would take the same position on Roberts’ staff. Helton replaces former coordinator Doug Ruse, who was let go Dec. 10 after sevens seasons at Arkansas State.
Helton was not retained by new Memphis Coach Larry Porter after former Tigers Coach Tommy West was fired Nov. 9. Helton coached at Memphis for 10 years, including the past three as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator.
In his final season as coordinator in Memphis, the Tigers’ scoring offense ranked 94th out of 120 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A) of NCAA Division I. Their total offense fared much better, finishing 64th in the nation at 373 yards per game, but the defense gave up 457.5 yards per game in a 2-10 season.
“My family and I are really looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of the Arkansas State family,” Helton said in a news release. “This is a great opportunity to work for a headcoach the caliber of Steve Roberts and to be a part of the tremendous staff he has assembled.”
Helton is charged with reviving an offense that ranked 95th out of 120 in 2009. The Red Wolves ranked either last or next to last in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing offense, passing offense, total offense and scoring offense.
Helton coached former Wynne standout and current Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, when Williams was a freshman at Memphis in 2002.
“He is innovative, fast paced and designs ways to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers on your football team,” Roberts said in a release.
Helton began his collegiate coaching career at Duke, where he was a graduate assistant in 1995 before serving as running backs coach for former coach Fred Goldsmith in 1996. Helton returned to his alma mater, Houston, to work for his father, Kim Helton. He was his father’s running backs coach from 1997-1999 before joining former Memphis coach Rip Scherer’s staff as running backs coach in 2000, Scherer’s final season. Helton coached quarterbacks and receivers from 2003-2007 before becoming West’s offensive coordinator in 2007.
Clay Helton played quarterback at Auburn in 1991 before transferring to play for his father at Houston from 1993-1994. His father coached at Houston from 1993-1999 before being fired in November 1999. Kim Helton currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Alabama-Birmingham.
Sports, Pages 19 on 12/25/2009