greater owensboro chamber of commerce
Vol 18/Issue 6
CHAMBER MATTERS 2020
JUNE
Remote Rooster Booster to be held this Thursday The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce will host Rooster Booster remotely this Thursday, June 4 at 7:30 a.m. CST. Sponsored by Western Kentucky University, the morning’s featured speaker will be Tyson Helton, WKU Hilltopper Football Head Coach.
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There is no cost to attend the remote June 4 Rooster Booster, which will be streamed on Facebook Live and Zoom.
Join us via Facebook Live @gochamber To join via Zoom, visit chamber.owensboro.com to complete a registration form. Registrants will be emailed an access link and instructions.
Helton to virtually address Rooster Booster viewers In his first season at the helm on The Hill, head coach Tyson Helton led the Hilltoppers to one of the best turnarounds in the nation. With a 9-4 overall record in 2019, WKU tripled its 2018 win total (3-9) and matched the number of victories from the previous two years combined (9-16). The Hilltoppers’ six-win improvement from 2018-to-2019 tied for the third-best in FBS, behind only Navy (8) and Central Michigan (7). WKU was voted to finish fifth in the East in the preseason Conference USA poll, but concluded the year tied for second with a 6-2 league record. Because of the team’s success, Helton was voted 2019 C-USA Coach of the Year, the first Hilltopper head coach since Jack Harbaugh was the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2000. It was only the sixth conference Coach of the Year honor in program history, with the previously-mentioned Harbaugh, Jimmy Feix (1973, 1978 and 1980) and Nick Denes (1963) as the only other WKU head coaches to earn the recognition. According to the league office, Tyson and his father Kim (Houston in 1996 – with Tyson on the team as a freshman), are the only father-son duo to each be named Coach of the Year in C-USA’s 25-year history in any sport. The Heltons are the first father-son duo to each be named Coach of the Year in any FBS league since the Bowdens – Tommy (Clemson in 2003) and Bobby (Florida State in 1993 and 1997) – in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Helton was named Western Kentucky University’s 21st head football coach on November 27, 2018, returning to WKU three years removed from the 2015 football season which ended with the Hilltoppers’ final Associated Press ranking of 24 – the highest in school history – and a schoolrecord 12 victories, including the first-ever FBS conference championship. Helton’s
and total yards (9th, 526.4). In 2014, WKU became the first NCAA program with a 4,500-yard passer and 1,500-yard rusher while winning the Bahamas Bowl to finish 8-4. That season, they were second nationally in passing (374.3), fourth in total offense (534.6) and sixth in scoring offense (44.4) and first downs (351). Helton spent the 2013 season as Cincinnati’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. Cincinnati set a school season total offense record (6,137 yards) as Helton coached tight end Blake Annen and kick returner Ralph David Abernathy IV to AllAmerican Athletic Conference first team honors. He spent the previous six seasons (2007-12) at UAB, the first five as the quarterbacks coach, and then 2012 coaching the running backs and serving as the recruiting coordinator and coached tight ends and special teams at Memphis for three years (2004-06). He began his coaching career at Hawaii for four years (200003), the first year as a graduate assistant working with the special teams and the final three seasons as the special teams coach. In 2001, his first as a full-time coach, Photos courtesy of Steve Roberts, WKU Athletics the Warriors led the nation in kickoff return yardage and broke previous tenure coincided with Dallas Cowboys. the NCAA record for season quarterback Brandon Doughty’s As WKU’s offensive kickoff return average. astronomical ascension up the coordinator and quarterbacks Helton played quarterback NCAA’s career record book and coach in 2014 and 2015 under at Houston (1996-99), where he total rewriting of the program’s then-head coach Jeff Brohm. earned a bachelor’s degree in own offensive records. WKU’s offensive numbers ranked business in 1999, after starring During his three years away among the nation’s elite during at Clements High in Sugar Land from the program, Helton spent Helton’s two years on the staff (Texas). His father, Kim, was the two seasons at the University and featured the first-ever 4,500- head coach at Houston during of Southern California as the yard passer (Brandon Doughty) Tyson’s tenure. passing game coordinator and 1,500-yard rusher (Leon Helton and his wife, April, have and quarterbacks coach under Allen) in the same season in FBS two daughters, Shelby Grace and head coach Clay Helton. Helton history in 2014. Presley, and twin boys, Cole and developed quarterback Sam WKU broke more than two Clay. Besides being Houston’s Darnold into an All-Pac-12 First dozen school offensive records head coach (1993-99), his father, Team quarterback and the No. 3 under Helton, including the Kim, was an assistant in college overall selection in the 2018 NFL points scored record in each of (Florida, Miami and Alabama Draft by the New York Jets. his two years. The Hilltopper Birmingham), the NFL (Tampa In that same draft class, offense was in the national Top 10 Bay Buccaneers, Houston Oilers, another of Helton’s protégés, in 2015 in passing efficiency (1st, Los Angeles Raiders, Washington WKU’s Mike White, was also 177.4), scoring (3rd, 44.3), passing Redskins) and CFL (Toronto selected in the fifth round by the (4th, 372.2), first downs (8th, 349) Argonauts).
WKU in Owensboro: Transforming challenges into opportunities The start of 2020 has brought with it many unique challenges. It has also provided new opportunities for us to meet the needs of adult learners throughout the region. Never before have we been confronted with entirely realigning how we work with students and each other. And never before has our WKU family worked together so quickly and resolutely to develop an effective learning environment that meets every student literally wherever they are. It’s challenging. It’s unconventional. It has required great sacrifice from students, faculty, and staff. But it’s also a new opportunity to grow. We are honored to respond to these unique circumstances alongside our students and alumni as we all push ourselves in new and incredible ways, and we are continually reminded of what a great community we serve! The Class of 2020 has certainly had to adapt, and we look forward to celebrating them this fall at our Graduand Ceremony September 17 at 6 p.m. We hope you will join us to honor these special graduates and their achievements. In the meantime, as we prepare for the Fall 2020 semester, our faculty and staff will continue to provide quality educational instruction, vital workforce development, and diverse student resources to this great region in new, innovative ways. Our students and alumni will also continue. They will continue to grow, to learn, to serve ... and to REACH HIGHER! wku.edu/owensboro 270-684-9797 | owensboro@wku.edu
Support Chamber Members! You’ll start seeing these 2020 decals in business windows soon, but what does it really mean? It means that this business owner believes in something bigger than itself. It means that this organization is doing its part to make Owensboro greater. It means that the people who work here are a huge part of the progress that has happened in years past and years to come. The organization proudly showcasing this decal is enabling your success individually and our successes as a community, just by their commitment to our business community through its Chamber of Commerce membership. Support these organizations — they continue their support and investment in you and our community.