Monday, April 27, 2009

PORTALES, N.M.— Steven Gamble, Eastern New Mexico University president, has announced the selection of Andrew Helton as the new Greyhound men’s basketball coach. With his selection, Helton becomes the 11^th coach in the 73 year history of the program.

Helton will be introduced at a press conference at 9 a.m. (Mountain Time) on Tuesday, April 28, in Greyhound Arena.

“Eastern is fortunate to employ a coach the caliber of Andrew Helton,” said Gamble.  “In addition to a very strong basketball background, he had enthusiastic references.  He emerged as our top choice from a strong pool of candidates, and I am certain he will be successful.” 

For the past two seasons, Helton has served under University of South Alabama head coach Ronnie Arrow. In their first season with the Jaguars, the team posted a school record 26 victories and won the Sun Belt Conference Eastern Division title and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. One year before going to USA, Helton and Arrow collaborated to guide the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men’s basketball team to the Southland Conference title, before falling in a tightly contested game to second-seeded University of Wisconsin after holding a 29-17 halftime lead over the Badgers.

At TAMU-Corpus Christi, he was in charge of recruiting, scouting, academic services and tutoring the post players. The Islanders achieved a record of 107-64 during Helton’s six seasons, which included four as the associate head coach. The program’s SLC tournament championship came during the team’s first season in the conference. Other landmark wins occurring during his time in Corpus Christi came against Florida State, Baylor, Texas A&M and South Florida.

Prior to his stints at USA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Helton has served at University of Miami, St. Francis (Pa.) and Pittsburgh-Johnstown. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration in 2001 at Miami of Ohio, after earning his bachelor’s degree in 1992 at the institution in secondary math education.

Helton, a native of Marion, Ohio, near Columbus, joins a strong Greyhound basketball tradition, which includes back-to-back Lone Star Conference South Division titles in the 2002 and 2003 seasons, a LSC Tournament crown following the 1992 season and a NAIA National Championship following a 23-7 season after the 1968 season.