2004 Memphis Football Preview

Danny Wimprine

The 2003 season was magic-a 9-4 record which included a 27-17 victory in the 2003 New Orleans Bowl. It was a season that Tiger fans had awaited for many, many years. Now, as the 2004 campaign approaches, Memphis head coach Tommy West has the team?s sights set on raising the bar again in 2004.

Last year the Tigers put together the school?s best football season in 40 years. The nine wins matched the victory total of the 1963 Memphis State football squad and marked the first winning campaign for the U of M since 1994 when Chuck Stobart?s team posted a 6-5 record.

The invitation to the 2003 New Orleans Bowl was the Tigers? first in 32 years and a caravan of over 12,000 fans followed its team to the ?Big Easy? for the December 16th contest. Playing on ESPN in the first bowl game of the 2003 season, West and his Tigers defeated North Texas 27-17 to place the perfect ending on the magical season and set off a celebration that is still on going in the city of Memphis.

?We had a great run in 2003,? West said. ?We were picked during the preseason to finish ninth in Conference USA, and no one expected that we would have such success except the coaches, team and staff at Memphis. Now we have raised the bar and this season will be a different experience for this team.

?We will no longer be the hunter, but the hunted. Teams we have surprised in 2003 will know what to expect from us this year and they will be ready. We will have a veteran team this fall, but we will have to play at a higher level if we are going to have the same success.?

The Tigers return 58 lettermen from last year?s squad and included in the group is every starter from an offensive unit that lost just one reserve player from the 2003 campaign. Six starters are back for Joe Lee Dunn?s defensive unit which ranked ninth in the nation in total defense in 2003.

?We have a chance to be really special on offense, but not if we don?t work hard in practice every day,? West continued. ?I thought we had a good spring overall but at times, I saw an attitude that indicated to me...'Hey, we are so good that we don?t have to work very hard.' That attitude is great, if you can back it up. If not, it will get you beat more times than not. It will be our job as coaches to get the team past that attitude in fall camp.?

The Tigers made one staff change in the winter of 2003 when Tyson Helton, the brother of assistant head coach Clay Helton, was added to the staff. Helton, who had coached the University of Hawaii special teams for three seasons, was hired to coach the Memphis special teams and tight ends. His hiring gives the U of M one of the strongest football staffs in many years and bodes well for the team?s future.

THE OFFENSE
The Quarterbacks
When you begin talking about the depth of the Tiger offensive unit, you may as well start with the quarterback position. Returning for the 2004 season is record-setting senior signal-caller Danny Wimprine, former junior college transfer Bobby Robison, who lettered as Wimprine?s backup in 2003, letterman kicker and quarterback Patrick Byrne and incoming freshman quarterback Will Hudgens.

Wimprine, a three-year starter for the Tigers, has rewritten the Memphis record book. The New Orleans native currently holds 29 passing and total offense records. He holds the Memphis record for pass attempts in a game (60), season (440) and career (1,071), the pass completions record for game (32), season (246) and career (583), the yardage record for game (398), season (3,174) and career (7,323) and the touchdown pass record for game (5), season (23) and career (59).

The senior led Memphis to a 9-4 record in 2003 and a victory in the New Orleans Bowl. During the bowl game, Wimprine completed 17-of-23 pass attempts for 254 yards and one touchdown and ran for a seven-yard score. He hit on passes of 63, 50 and 46 yards to set up scoring plays for the Tigers. Wimprine, who was named the game's MVP, controlled the clock for over 34 minutes for Memphis.

Responsible for 69 career touchdowns, Wimprine is expected to return to his quarterback position for the 2004 season but will enter the fall knowing that if he needs assistance, Robison is waiting in the wings. The lefthander from Florida played in five games for Memphis last season and in the season opener against Tennessee Tech, completed nine of 16 pass attempts for 124 yards.

Robison had a good spring practice for Memphis and was named the Paul Gingold MVP of the annual Blue-Gray Spring Scrimmage. On the final Saturday of spring practice, Robison threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns to receive the MVP Award.

Patrick Byrne, a redshirt sophomore, has worked as a backup quarterback for two years, but has seen game action as the Tigers? kickoff specialist. Byrne appeared in nine games for the Tigers in 2003, but has not seen action at quarterback. However, given the number of reps he has participated in during practice, Byrne would have little trouble running the Tiger offense.

The Tigers were able to land prep quarterback Will Hudgens during the winter of 2004, and it is expected that he will be the quarterback of the future for Memphis. A standout from Ridgeway High School, Hudgens led his team to the state 3-A title in 2002 while throwing for more than 1,000 yards and rushing for over 200 yards. An all-state performer in football, Hudgens also lettered in basketball, baseball, track and swimming at RHS. However, in the spring of 2004, Hudgens suffered a torn ACL during a high school basketball function and is expected to miss the fall of 2004 while rehabilitating his knee.

Running Backs
Not since the days of Dave Casinelli in the early 1960s have the Memphis Tigers entered a fall season with as much excitement at tailback as the 2004 campaign and the return of junior DeAngelo Williams. Despite missing the final two-and-a-half games of the season, Williams established a Memphis single-season rushing record and has his sights aimed at nearly every career rushing record in the Tiger football annals.

The Wynne, Arkansas, native opened the 2003 season with just 61 yards rushing and one touchdown on the ground against Tennessee Tech. However, the speedy back caught four passes for 135 yards and two additional scores and set a Memphis single-game record for receiving yards by a running back. It would be the only game of the season that Williams did not rush for at least 100 yards.

Over the next nine weeks, Williams rolled up yardage and immediately jumped into the top ten among the nation?s leading ground gainers. He had 135 yards and two scores in the win over Ole Miss, 158 yards against Southern Miss, 195 yards and two scores in the Tulane victory and 158 yards and one touchdown in the road win over Louisville. Coupled with his receiving yardage and his kickoff return efforts, Williams moved into the number one position in all-purpose yardage among all NCAA Division 1-A players, and when the season ended, he was ranked first in all-purpose yards and fifth in rushing. His 1,430 yards rushing set a Memphis single season record, and with 2,114 yards rushing over the past two seasons, Williams needs just 523 yards to become the Tigers' all-time leading rusher.

For his play in 2003, Williams was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, was selected to the Conference USA first team offense, was named to CoSIDA?s Region IV Academic All-America team, received the New Orleans Bowl Academic Award for 2003 and remained a candidate for the Doak Walker Award until the final month of the season. As the 2004 season nears, there have been rumblings about Williams? name appearing on Heisman Trophy watch lists.

If misfortune struck the Tigers again in 2004 and Williams was lost for an extended period of time, Memphis would have a number of veteran backs to fill the void. LSU transfer Derron Parquet, redshirt freshman Jamarcus Gaither, New Orleans Bowl hero LaKendus Cole or any number of other young backs could be called on to carry the ball.

Parquet, who played two seasons at LSU before transferring to Memphis, took over for Williams in the USF game in 2003 and rushed for 165 yards in his first start for the Tigers. He also started the New Orleans Bowl but was injured on the U of M?s sixth play of the game. He finished the season with 487 yards rushing and averaged 5.1 yards per carry.

When Parquet left the bowl game with a shoulder injury, Cole was called on to play tailback, and the walk-on from Houston High in Germantown, Tennessee, earned a game ball by rushing for 62 yards and one touchdown. Cole ended 2003 with 226 yards rushing.

Gaither was redshirted during his first year at Memphis, but demonstrated his desire to play during the spring of 2004. The speedster from Frayser High in Memphis showed an ability to run both inside and out and has similar speed to Williams. Joining the list of tailbacks are Brian Davis, a redshirt sophomore, and newcomer Joseph Doss of Memphis Melrose High School.

Doss was listed as the number five prep prospect in the state of Tennessee last fall and rushed for 1,162 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2003 while sharing time at tailback. The all-state football selection was also a member of the Melrose High state championship track team and has posted times of 14.76 in the 110-meter hurdles and 38.33 in the 300-meter hurdles. He finished second in the 300 meter hurdles at the state championships and was sixth in the decathlon.

When the Tiger offense brings in a fullback and runs out of the ?I? formation, senior Robert Douglas and freshman Taz Knockum will be called on to handle the duties. Douglas is a former linebacker who was moved to fullback in 2003, while Knockum was redshirted last season. Both have proven to be good blockers and Knockum has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Receivers & Tight Ends
The Tigers will enter the fall of 2004 with perhaps the deepest and most talented receiver corps in school history. And that says a mouthful considering that Memphis had Issac Bruce, Russell Copeland and Mac Cody, all NFL receivers, on the same squad in 1992.

Back from last season?s 9-4 team are Maurice Avery, Darron White, Mario Pratcher, Ryan Scott, Chris Kelley, and Tavarious Davis. Then, toss-in two of the top receivers from 2002, Tavares Gideon and Von Webb, both of whom sat out last season with knee injuries, and stir-in five outstanding freshman signees and you begin to see the makings of a very potent passing game.

Avery, a converted quarterback, made the move to receiver in 2003 and led the squad with 49 catches for 742 yards and eight touchdowns. Despite missing two games with a knee injury, Avery finished the season ranked 73rd in the nation in receiving yards per game. He was also ranked in the top 100 receivers in average yards per game, average number of receptions per game and scoring. In addition to his eight touchdown catches, Avery had three rushing touchdowns in 2003.

The junior from Atlanta, Georgia, set a Memphis record for receptions in a game when he grabbed 13 balls against UAB for 125 yards and one touchdown. He also broke the 100-yard mark with seven receptions for 107 yards against Southern Mississippi and had 98 yards and two scores in the win over East Carolina.

The speedy wideout came back from his knee injury and played in the New Orleans Bowl and then spent the winter months playing basketball for John Calipari?s Tigers. He was the only player in the country last year to play on a winning team in a bowl game and in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

White is a three-year letterman receiver and kick returner for the U of M who is currently the fourth all-time leading receiver in terms of number of receptions with 111 and sixth all-time in receiving yards with 1,290. He caught 37 passes for 525 yards in 2003 and scored five touchdowns by the pass. He also rushed the ball 30 times for 128 yards and added four more scores.

Davis ranked third among Memphis receivers last year with 27 catches for 407 yards and three scores. His 92-yard touchdown catch against Ole Miss ranked as the second-longest pass play in school history.

Kelley, a junior college transfer, came on strong at the end of the season and caught the Tigers? lone touchdown pass in the New Orleans Bowl. He finished the campaign with 11 receptions for 154 yards and two scores, but also provided depth as a kick returner for Memphis.

The Tigers debuted two new young receivers in 2003 in Mario Pratcher and Ryan Scott. Both are big receivers who have the ability to catch the ball in the middle of the field. Pratcher, who was the top prep receiver in Tennessee in 2001, made his presence known by catching 10 passes for 165 yards and one score. Scott, a Jackson, Tennessee, native caught 15 passes for 119 yards and one score.

In 2002, Memphis was led in receiving by Tavares Gideon, and Von Webb also played a large part in the passing attack. Both suffered torn ACLs prior to the start of the 2003 season and received medical redshirts. The duo has now fully recovered and will return to the mix in 2004.

As if the corps was not strong enough, the Tigers signed five stellar receivers for the class of 2004. Seeking playing time this fall will be Earnest Williams, the state?s Mr. Football for Class 3A; Antonio McCoy, a Clarion Ledger Top 40 Prospect from Starkville, Mississippi; Carlton Robinzine, a 6?5? football and track standout from Memphis; Maurice Jones, another all-state performer from Memphis; and Michael Grandberry, a receiver and return specialist from Covington, Tennessee.

Several young players are attempting to make the Memphis squad as receivers, including Brandon Stewart, Daniel Byram, Tim Myers and Navin Ausley.

Big John Doucette, a two-year veteran at tight end, returns for his junior season after catching a career-high 17 passes for 194 yards in 2003. The New Orleans native had a personal-best four catches for 92 yards in the Tigers' win over Ole Miss, which included a career-long reception of 52 yards.

Providing support for Doucette will be letterman Isaac Daniel, who appeared in all 13 games of the 2003 season. Daniel had just one pass reception, but was used in all of the Tigers' two tight end sets. Daniel will be a senior this fall.

The newest member of the tight ends is freshman Brett Russell of Christian Brothers High School in Memphis. The highly recruited tight end, who has both size and speed, caught 15 passes for 271 yards as a senior. During his junior year, Russell had 31 catches for 677 yards and six touchdowns.

Offensive Line
The report on the depth of the Memphis offense continues with the offensive line positions. Just three short years ago, the West coaching staff had a difficult time finding five players to take the field as offensive linemen. Now, after two strong recruiting classes and the shuffling of players from position to position, the offensive line is four deep at every spot and most have a great deal of playing experience.

Back from the 2003 bowl season are 11 lettermen, including all five starters. Those starters did not allow a quarterback sack over a four-game stretch in October and just 12 sacks on the season. However, several redshirt freshman from last year and a transfer are also seeking action in the trenches, and that has Tiger coaches anxious for the start of the 2004 season.

The Tigers will be anchored in the line by center Gene Frederic. The senior from St. Louis, Missouri, was named to the All-Conference USA Team (3rd team) in 2003 and has been selected to the Rimington Award Watch List for 2004. Memphis returns both offensive tackles from last season in seniors Jeremy Rone, who was also picked on the All-Conference USA Team (3rd); and David Davis. Both guards are back in three-year letterman Andrew Handy and senior Jason Matthews. Both Handy and Matthews missed spring drills while rehabilitating injuries.

Several returning lettermen have been starters during their careers. Guard Blake Butler, who was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team in 2003, became the starter at guard when Handy suffered a broken leg in the Louisville game. Senior tackle Jason Johnson was a starter at tackle in 2002 and 2003, but an injury in last year?s Arkansas State game moved him into a backup role and Davis started the next nine contests.

Other lettermen candidates on the line include tackle Bruce McCaleb, converted defensive tackle to guard Kenyun Glover, backup center Stephen Schuh, right guard Willie Henderson and tackle Greg Billingslea. All saw regular duty in 2003 and will provide depth this fall.

Newcomers for line positions include redshirted guard Andy Smith, tackle Abraham Holloway and transfer Jared McGowen. Smith and Holloway both were redshirted as freshmen, but were impressive during spring drills. McGowen signed with the University of Kentucky after high school and played in five games as a true freshman for the Wildcats. He transferred to Memphis in 2003 and sat out last season under NCAA guidelines. He will now battle for game time at one of the guard positions.

Memphis landed two outstanding prep offensive linemen in Brandon Pearce and Philip Beliles of Christian Brothers High School in Memphis. Both were listed by Rivals.com as top prospects in the state of Tennessee and will no doubt be stars of the future for the Tigers.

DEFENSE
When head coach Tommy West stated that Joe Lee Dunn was perhaps his best signee in the winter of 2002, he wasn?t kidding. The veteran defensive coordinator took little time in turning the Tiger defense around. Ranked 101st in rushing defense and 57th in total defense in 2002, the Tigers improved to 18th in rushing defense and 9th overall in 2003. The U of M had the number one defense in Conference USA under Dunn and were ranked number two in scoring defense.

The Tigers did lose several key defensive players to graduation and the NFL. Gone from last year are tackle Eric Taylor and end Treveco Lucas, linebackers Greg Harper, Will Hyden and Coot Terry, and cat safety Derrick Ballard. Taylor was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Ballard signed with the Chicago Bears and Lucas with the Tennessee Titans.

But under Dunn?s defensive scheme, numerous players are utilized. Therefore, Memphis should have another strong unit for the 2004 season.

Defensive Line
When talks center on the Memphis defensive front, one name is mentioned first...Albert Means. The senior from Memphis was a disruptive force for opposing offenses in 2003 and should receive all-star recognition this fall. Means logged 51 tackles in 2003 and was also credited with two quarterback sacks and two tackles for lost yardage. He completely dominated the North Texas offensive line in the New Orleans Bowl, leading Memphis to a 27-17 victory. Means received the Top Tiger Award for 2003, which is presented annually by Tommy West.

Means made the switch from nose tackle to defensive end in the spring of 2004 and will be even more of a factor in the Memphis pass rush. Joining him on the defensive front will be lettermen David McNair at end and two-year letterman LaVale Washington at nose tackle.

McNair posted 22 tackles and three quarterback sacks last season, while Washington logged 29 hits with four tackles for lost yardage and two sacks. Letterman Marcus West will be a part of the rotation at defensive end. The junior has lettered for two seasons and gives Memphis quickness at rush end.

Arron Bentley, who lettered at tight end in 2003, and Haracio Colen will provide depth on the defensive front as will end Lane Garcia. The three players gained invaluable experience in the spring and working a large number of plays against the number one offensive unit.

The focus of the Tigers? recruiting effort in 2004 was to gain defensive linemen, and the positions were certainly filled with the addition of four junior college transfers and three standout high school players.

The Tigers were able to sign junior college stars Rubio Phillips, Tyus Jackson, Brandon Farrar and Van Houston for the fall of 2004 and high school stars Cortez McCraney, Ryan Williams and Brandon Douglas.

Phillips, Jackson, Farrar and Houston bring a great deal of size and experience to the defensive line. Phillips, 6-2, 250, played for Holmes Community College in Mississippi. Jackson, 6-3, 250, played his junior college football for Northeast Mississippi C.C., while Farrar, who played one season for Ole Miss, came to the Tigers from Southwest Mississippi Community College. Houston, who was named the defensive MVP of the Mississippi Junior College All-Star Game, stands 6-6 and weighs 320. He played for Itawamba Community College.

McCraney was a prep star at Southaven High School. A former basketball player, the 6-4 end played just one season of football but already possess good athletic skills. Williams, one of four Christian Brothers signees, is a nose tackle who was named the Super 7 Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2003. Douglas was an all-state picked from Haywood County High School in Brownsville, Tennessee.

Linebackers
If there were one area decimated by graduation it was that of linebacker. Gone from 2003 are starters Greg Harper, Coot Terry and Will Hyden. The trio started every game in 2003, and Harper and Terry had been four-year starters for the Tigers.

Hyden led the team in tackles during 2003 with 101, while Harper ranked third and Terry fourth in total hits. Harper was credited with 97 tackles and Terry with 96. During the spring of 2004, several players stepped forward at linebacker and will hopefully be able to fill the defensive needs this fall.

Two-year letterman Tim Goodwell moved from outside linebacker to middle backer in the spring of 2004 and offers the squad both size and speed. The Georgia native had 37 tackles as a sophomore outside linebacker and has the speed to also cover receivers.

Joining Goodwell at middle linebacker will be senior Charles Davis, sophomore Michael Spurlock and newcomer Heath Grant. Both Davis and Spurlock are returning letterwinners, while Grant enters Memphis after an outstanding prep career in Mississippi.

Davis lettered in 2002 but has been bothered with injuries throughout his career. He has seen most of his play as a member of the Memphis special teams. Spurlock came to the U of M last fall as a walk-on from Houston High in Memphis and had earned a spot on the field by the season opener. He served as a member of the Tiger special teams, appearing in 11 of the 13 games. Grant is an all-state linebacker from Starkville High School. The son of Mississippi State?s former strength coach, Grant set a school record for tackles in 2003 with 178.

The outside linebacker slots feature two young linebackers in Mike Snyder and Quinton McCrary and newcomer Carlton Baker. However, a host of young backers- including Carson Hunter, Cato Mott and Sheldon Taylor will be joined by freshmen Greg Hinds and TiQuinton Morrell.

Snyder, McCrary, Mott and Hunter were regulars on the Tiger special teams in 2003 and saw some playing time at linebacker, while Taylor battled through a second ACL injury. All have on-field experience and offer the Tigers depth at backer.

Hinds comes to Memphis with incredible prep credentials. He was ranked as the number one prospect in the state of Mississippi in 2003 and the number six athlete in the nation by Rivals.com. The 6-2, 220-pound defensive back has the reputation as a big hitter and can be used as either a back or linebacker by the Tigers. Morrell came to Memphis from Atlanta, Georgia, after helping his team to an 8-3 record in 2003.

Cat Safety -
Former Tiger linebacker Derrick Ballard was switched from backer to one of the cat safety slots for the 2003 season. The Chicago Bear signee had a standout season, registering 91 tackles, seven tackles for lost yardage, two fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks and one pass interception. Ballard, a four-year letterman, has departed for the NFL but back for their final campaign are starter Scott Vogel and former freshman All-American O.C. Collins, as well as some very talented young players.

Vogel, a three-year starter, recorded 69 tackles last season; led the team in pass breakups with 11 and intercepted two passes. His 38-yard interception return for a touchdown against Tulane broke the game open and helped the Tigers to a 41-9 victory. Vogel enters the season with over 150 career tackles and five interceptions.

Collins was named to two freshman All-America teams in 2002 after a sensational campaign at free safety. He took over the starters role at corner in 2003 after Lee Hayes suffered a broken leg and worked as a cat safety in the spring. Collins has over 115 career tackles and four career interceptions.

Joining the group of cat safeties are lettermen Sam Brewer, Olen Whitely, Javar Pollard and Derek Clenin and signee Rod Smith. Brewer played in all 13 games of 2003, earning his first football letter, as did walk-on candidate Clenin. Pollard, who worked as a number one in spring drills, logged six tackles last season as a member of the special teams. Whitely played in six contests last fall. Smith, who played his prep football at Milan High School, was named Tennessee?s Mr. Football for Class 2A and at 6-2, 205, gives the Tigers additional size at cat safety.

Secondary
The Tiger secondary returns intact for the 2004 season after helping the defense to a 19th-place national ranking in pass defense in 2003. Both corners, Cameron Essex and Tristan Thomas, return as does an all-star candidate, Wesley Smith, at free safety.

Essex, a senior, started 10 games at cornerback in 2003 and was credited with 42 tackles and five pass breakups. He logged a career-high seven tackles against East Carolina, including five solo stops. Essex took over at corner when Collins was moved to replace an injured Lee Hayes.

Junior college transfer Dustin Lopez arrived on the Memphis campus in January and participated in spring drills. He is expected to back up Essex, along with Jermaine Anderson.

Thomas moved into Collins? old position in spring drills and is slated to start in the fall of 2004. The senior has lettered for three years in the secondary and is credited with 49 career tackles and one interception. Backing up Thomas will be three-year letterman Lionel Pieh, letterman Jermaine Chambers and newcomer Brandon Patterson.

Pieh has seen most of his play on the Tiger special teams, as did Chambers in 2003. Patterson was an all-state quarterback and defensive back at Germantown High School. He led his team to the 2003 Tennessee 5-A state championship, rushing for the team?s only touchdown in the championship game.

Smith, a first team All-Conference USA selection in 2003, is back for his second season at free safety. The big defensive back was credited with 98 tackles last season, including four for lost yardage. He led the squad in pass interceptions with three and had one quarterback sack. His pass interception return for 38 yards against Cincinnati set up the game winning touchdown and earned Smith the conference Defensive Player of the Week award.

Smith is supported by sophomore letterman Jamaal Rufus, who was considered the top defensive prospect in the area in 2002. He worked as a special teams member and as a safety last season and registered seven tackles and one tackle for lost yardage. Chase Crawford will also work at free safety in the fall.

Special Teams
Memphis has back all of its special teams members from the 2003 season and a new coach who specializes in special teams play. Returning for the 2004 campaign are kicker Stephen Gostkowski, punter Brandon Roberson, holder Ryan Ivey and deep snapper Rusty Clayton.

Gostkowski, a junior from Brandon, Mississippi, scored 101 points for Memphis last season, tying the school record for most points scored in a single season. His 44 PATs made were the most by a Tiger kicker in a season and his 19 field goals made represent the second-highest total made in a single season. Gostkowski has now scored 160 career points and ranks fifth on the career scoring list. He is backed up by sophomore quarterback/kicker Patrick Byrne, who handles all of the Tiger kickoff duties, and walk-on candidate John Patterson.

Roberson came to Memphis last year as a junior college transfer and worked as the punter in all 13 games. He had 50 punts on the season and averaged 39.5 yards per punt with seven of his kicks downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Roberson is supported by starting holder Ivey who has not had to punt for the Tigers.

Ivey has lettered for two years as the Tiger holder and started every game in 2003. He was given a scholarship prior to the start of last season. Byrne works as the backup holder for the special teams.

Clayton, a redshirt sophomore, handled all of the team?s snapping chores in 2003 and will return to that duty this fall. He was named the Special Teams Player of the Year for 2003 for his near perfection on special teams. Backing up Clayton are lettermen Jared Bidne and Gene Frederic. Frederic handled all of the snapping duties for two years before taking over at center in 2003.

During the off-season, Tommy West decided the Tigers were in need of a special teams coach. When an opening occurred on the Memphis staff, West immediately hired Tyson Helton to coach the U of M tight ends and special teams. Helton had served for three years as special teams coach at the University of Hawaii and had his units ranked among the nation?s leaders in returns.