Sport(s) Football 1979–1982 Miami (OC) Name Kim Helton | 1972 Florida (GA) Role Coach Children Tyson Helton 1973–1978 Florida (OL) Weight 91 kg | |
1970–1971 Gainesville (FL) Eastside HS Grandchildren Cole Helton, Clay Helton, Presley Helton, Shelby Grace Helton | ||
Charles Kimberlin "Kim" Helton (born July 28, 1948) is an American college and professional football coach. His last college coaching job was as the offensive coordinator for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) football program. Helton was formerly the head football coach of the University of Houston from 1993 to 1999.
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Early years
Helton was born in Pensacola, Florida. He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played center for coach Ray Graves' Florida Gators football team from 1967 to 1969. He graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1970.
Coaching career
Helton began his coaching career as head coach at Eastside High School in Gainesville in 1970. After two seasons there, Helton became a graduate assistant at the University of Florida in 1972. Later, Helton became the offensive line coach under new Gators head coach Doug Dickey, a position he held from 1973 to 1978. In 1979, he was hired by Howard Schnellenberger to serve as the offensive coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes.
After Schnellenberger left Miami for the United States Football League (USFL), Helton moved to the National Football League (NFL), becoming offensive line coach under head coaches John McKay and Leeman Bennett with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He later held similar positions with the Houston Oilers and Los Angeles Raiders. In early 1993, Helton agreed to join the Miami Dolphins as offensive line coach, but was offered the head coaching position at the University of Houston before starting with the Dolphins.
In seven years at Houston, Helton had two winning seasons and one bowl game appearance. He was fired in November 1999, after a 7-4 season. After a few years out of coaching, Helton was hired by fellow Florida alumnus Steve Spurrier to coach the Washington Redskins offensive line. After Spurrier's dismissal as Redskins head coach in 2003, Helton became the running backs coach for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. In January 2007, he was hired as offensive coordinator at UAB by Neil Callaway who had served as offensive coordinator himself under Helton at Houston. Callaway and his staff were fired following the 2011 season.
Helton was inducted in the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Distinguished Letter Winner" in 2001.
Coaching tree
Assistant coaches under Kim Helton who became NCAA head coaches: