Words from Coach Whitten

BY JAXON HANSARD / Multimedia Journalist 

A Coach is a leader for a team. Their job is to lead, organize, instruct and direct a team to their goal. 

While players have the individual talents and skills to play their sport to a high level, it is the job of the coach to organize all the moving parts into one machine that wins games. 

The coach for the Tarleton State University football team is Todd Whitten. He has been coaching the purple and white for 14 seasons and recently achieved 100 career wins with the Texans in a close 13-14 victory over Southeastern Louisiana University.

The Tarleton Sports Network gives football fans their weekly radio shows. The show gives some insight from head football Coach Whitten and women’s volleyball coach Mary Schindler. 

On Thursdays, Byron Anderson of the Tarleton Sports Networks hosts a talk show with Coach Whitten that is presented and hosted by Triple Crown Ford. 

Coach Schindler’s weekly shows are held on Mondays from 12-12:30 p.m. at the Barry B. Thompson Student Center presented by F&M Bank. 

These shows are a great opportunity for Tarleton sports fans and students to get some insight from the coaches. These weekly shows also gives an insight into the coaches’ personalities off the clock. 

When asked what Coach Whitten does when flying to a game he had a simple answer. 

“Usually two things, I’ll start off with a nap and if there’s enough time, I’ll watch a movie,” Whitten said. 

Byron asked if there were any specific movies he prefers to which Whitten replied “Just whatever Mrs. Dania (his wife) has on Netflix.”

On Oct 11, the “Todd Whitten Show” was hosted on a Wednesday due to travel plans for that week’s game against Eastern Kentucky University. 

The previous loss to Southern Utah University was discussed on the show as well as the upcoming matchup in Kentucky. 

“The first thing is that we played the best half of football, we got to finish football in about a three-hour game and there are two halves, that was the most consistent we played in a while in that first half when we were up 20-0 at halftime,” Whitten said. “I know how good that quarterback is. I’ve seen him, again he’s been starting off and on for about five to six years so I knew there wouldn’t be anything that would be safe.” 

Coach described football as a “real funny game” that he’s looked at for years. 

“There’s just one of those things that it’s certainly not the only one I’ve been a part of but nevertheless it never gets easy, and it hurts a lot,” Whitten said.

At the end of the “Todd Whitten Show”, they brought on two-time UAC (United Athletic Conference) Special Teams Player of the Week kicker Adrian Guzman who is kicking and punting for the Texans this season. 

Whitten credits Guzman with two UAC Player of the Week awards for his consistency.  One of Guzman’s ways to stay consistent like many other kickers or athletes is to have a routine.

 “I have to get a couple of practice kicks in before I go out there, then I tend to stand by myself and just lock in while I go out there and try to execute. For punting I just go out there.” Guzman said. 

He punted in high school at Temple, Texas with the loss of a punter from the previous football season and when that was brought to Special Teams Coach Waltons attention he had a talk with Guzman about the open position. Guzman is a Construction science major with internships lined up but nothing specific in mind if he isn’t playing football after college.