Former University of Hawaii assistant Tyson Helton has been named head football coach at Western Kentucky.

Helton, 41, served as offensive play-caller and quarterbacks coach this season at Tennessee and replaces Mike Sanford who was fired after going 9-16 in two seasons.

Helton started his coaching career at UH in 2000 as a graduate assistant on June Jones’ staff. He served as the Rainbow Warriors’ special teams coordinator from 2001 through 2003.

WKU plays Hawaii in 2022 at Aloha Stadium.

Helton has also coached at Memphis, Alabama-Birmingham, Cincinnati, USC and WKU.

He is a brother of USC head coach Clay Helton.