ABOUT TEXAN FOOTBAL
Tarleton Football has a rich tradition of success at every level of competition. Dating back to the early 1900s, Tarleton dominated the Junior College circuit through the 1960 season before becoming a four-year institution in 1961. Tarleton competed in the TIAA Conference at the NAIA level until 1994 when the university joined NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference. In 2020, Tarleton made its biggest jump ever by making the move to NCAA Division I at the FCS level. They spent their first season as an FCS Independent program before being a part of the revival of Western Athletic Conference (WAC) football in 2021. In 2023, the WAC and ASUN partnered to create a new football-only conference, the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which Tarleton is a member of to this day.
Since becoming an NCAA Division I program, the Texans have absolutely shined. The Texans posted the third best winning percentage in a reclassification period since 2004 at .610 (25-16), and among all Texas D1/D2 programs since 2018, the Texans have the best winning percentage in the state at .727 (48-18). Tarleton State logged a winning season in each year of their reclassification, and in 2023, posted their best season at the D1 level yet, going 8-3 overall and finishing tied-second in the UAC. They would have likely earned an FCS at-large playoff berth.
Tarleton saved its best two seasons for the last in Division II as the Texans completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and conference championships in 2018-19. In each of those seasons, Tarleton reached the NCAA playoffs including a trip to the Super Region IV Finals in 2018.
OUR HEAD COACH
Todd Whitten is the all-time winningest head coach in Tarleton State football history, now entering his 15th season as the leader of the Texans in 2024. This marks his 20th season as an NCAA head coach (other five seasons were at Sam Houston) and his 37th season of coaching football at any level.
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, Whitten has guided the Texans to four straight winning seasons, going 8-3 in 2023, 6-5 in 2022, 6-5 in 2021 and 5-3 in 2020. Tarleton State has posted seven straight regular seasons with winning records, and 13 of the last 14 seasons under Whitten the team has finished .500 or better. He boasts an NCAA coaching record of 129-81, including a record at Tarleton of 104-53, which gives him the most total wins in school history. He owns a 61-21 (.744) home record, taking the Texans to a 16-7 (.696) 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 .727 (48-18).
This past season was special for the Texans, where they posted their most wins in a season since joining the NCAA Division I ranks, going 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. Whiten coached nine players to All-Conference honors in 2023, the second highest mark among UAC schools. This included four on the first team -- running back Kayvon Britten, center Tuli Teuhema, linebacker Qua'Shawn Washington and defensive back Patrick Jones -- and five on the second team -- wide receiver Darius Copper, offensive lineman Layton Ernst, offensive lineman Hunter Smith, defensive lineman Josh Griffis and running back Deangelo Rosemond as a returner. 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, and soon after, the Texan legend agreed to a six-year contract extension after the 2019 football season to lead the Texans in their next level of football competition.
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.
THE HOME OF TEXAN FOOTBALL
For more than six decades the fortunes of the Tarleton Texans have played out on the gridiron at Memorial Stadium.
Guided by the likes of former coaches W. J. Wisdom, Earl Rudder, Buddy Fornes and current head coach Todd Whitten, the Texans built a legacy of excellence, much in the confines of their home arena. Playing host to opponents from the Pioneer Conference, the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Lone Star Conference and now NCAA Division I FCS, the venerable facility has witnessed championship seasons, postseason bowl invitations, and players who have excelled and advanced into the professional ranks.
The stadium owes its very existence, as well as upgrades and additions over its 65-year life, to the generosity of local supporters of Tarleton’s athletic programs.
In the late 1940s, during the administration of President E.J. Howell, local leaders and influential alumni forged a committee to collect the $100,000 necessary to build the stadium. While early efforts proved fruitful, gathering $55,000 within the first year, the drive stalled before being brought back to life by Mary Hope Westbrook, head of the English Department. Westbrook assumed leadership of the group, which then met its funding goal. By October 1948, crews began construction, bulldozing eight acres to make way for the stadium. The initial structure, made of reinforced concrete, seated 6,000 fans in 32 rows of steel bleachers. In 1950, a regulation cinder track was installed around the football field and, in 1951, the building opened.
Several rounds of upgrades, most funded by university benefactors, have occurred over time. A major renovations in 1977, financed by a then-ambitious $475,000 local fund-raising drive, added the now-iconic berm on the east side, replaced the old steel seats, extended the bleachers on the west side and built the press box. A $2 million project, which began in 1988, expanded seating to 7,600, added concession areas and built the current field house. In addition, track and field facilities were renovated and named for legendary track coach Oscar Frazier. In 2019, a brand-new grandstand was built on the west side of Memorial Stadium to increase the seating to nearly 17,000 and provide a first-class experience for the Texan faithful. A new state-of-the-art video board was added on the south side of the stadium as a part of the renovation. The complete project was a $26 million renovation.