STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State University has agreed to a contract extension with head football coach Todd Whitten, the Texans announced on Tuesday.
“Todd Whitten is one of the best FCS coaches in the country, and we’re excited to keep him right here with Texan Nation,” said Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley. “Of course, we’re proud of the wins and the championships and how quickly Coach Whitten has turned Tarleton State into an elite program at the FCS level, but we’re most proud of the impact he makes off the football field. Coach Whitten invests so much time in these players to make sure they become –– more than great football players –– great husbands, fathers and citizens. His commitment to academic success and making sure his players graduate is what sets him apart and we’re excited to keep Coach Whitten at Tarleton State.”
Whitten’s extension is two years long, extending him through the 2029 campaign.
“Coach Whitten is one of the best coaches I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and this is a much-deserved extension,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled for the Texan Football program to keep elevating and giving our student-athletes the best experience possible. Coach Whitten will continue to represent our department and university to the highest extent.”
Whitten just finished top-five in the voting for the 2025 Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the national coach of the year. He led the Texans to a United Athletic Conference co-championship and tied-most wins in Tarleton State Football history (12). In 2025, the Texans finished 12-2 overall and 7-1 in UAC play, advancing to the FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals in just their second year of D1 postseason eligibility. Tarleton State became the first FCS team since 1993 (Troy) to make the quarterfinals in one of its first two seasons of playoff eligibility (8+ team format in FCS). The Texans are the first active FCS program to accomplish that feat since 1985 (Eastern Washington).
“Being the head football coach at Tarleton State is the best job in the world,” Whitten said. “This is the best place to be, and the best people are here. Thank you to President Hurley and Steve Uryasz, as well as the Texas A&M Board of Regents and Chancellor Glenn Hegar for continuing to believe in me. We’ve done so many special things at Tarleton State, and I know we will continue to bring great football to Stephenville for Texan Nation.”
The 2025 campaign was a historic one for the Texans. They won a pair of nationally televised games (42-0 at Portland State on ESPN2 during Week 0, 30-27 OT at Army on CBS Sports Network during Week 1), set record crowds at Memorial Stadium, and were ranked as high as No. 2 in the national polls. Offensively, the Texans were one of the best teams in the nation, ranked No. 1 in scoring (42.4 points per game), No. 8 in total offense (457.6 YPG), No. 16 in passing offense (263.6 YPG), and No. 18 in rushing offense (193.9 YPG). Turnovers and takeaways were a major reason for Tarleton State’s historic campaign. On offense, the Texans turned the ball over just nine times, the tied-fifth fewest amount of turnovers lost across the FCS. On the flip side, Tarleton State earned 39 takeaways, by far the most in the FCS with the next closest team at 28. The Texans’ 38 takeaways are the most by an FCS team since 2017 (James Madison with 44). Tarleton State averaged a turnover margin of +2.14, the third highest average turnover margin in FCS history. Furthermore defensively, Tarleton State was No. 8 in pass defense (163.9 YPG allowed), 10th in scoring defense (18.6 PPG allowed) and No. 21 in total defense (331.4 YPG allowed).
Whitten is the winningest coach in Tarleton State Football history, now with a 126-59 (.681) all-time record for the Purple and White across 16 seasons, and a 151-87 (.634) spot all-time as an NCAA head coach (21 seasons). He’s won seven Coach of the Year awards, six coming straight from the conference itself. Since 2018, the Texans have had the highest winning percentage among all Texas D1 and D2 programs (.745, 70-24). Among Whitten’s 16 completed seasons at Tarleton State, his team has finished .500 or better 15 times. The Texans have reached double-digit wins seven times in program history – Whitten has been the head coach for five of those seasons.
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