Eastern New Mexico University Athletic Director Dr. Jeff Geiser has announced the resignation of Men’s Basketball Coach Andrew Helton, due to personal reasons. Helton returned the Greyhounds to the Lone Star Conference tournament in his second year as coach, which started a run of four consecutive appearances after ENMU had missed the championships for six straight years.

"The true measure of a coach is, did he leave the program better than he found it? I believe profoundly that this is indeed the case with Coach Helton," said Geiser. "Please join me in wishing Coach Helton, his wife Ellie, their children Will, and Grace, all the luck in the world in future endeavors. We are going to miss them. I am proud to consider him a friend."

Helton concluded his five-year stint at Eastern with 62 wins, ranked sixth in career victories in program history and fifth in wins per season (12.4). He joined the staff for the 2009-10 season and guided the team to a six-game improvement in its record, nearly reaching the Lone Star Conference tournament. The following season saw ENMU post a winning record in LSC play and finished with 13 total wins and eight victories on the road.

A highlight of Helton’s time at Eastern came in an 80-72 win over Midwestern State, when the Mustangs brought a 13-0 mark to Greyhound Arena, on January 14, 2012. Eastern posted a 14-win season that year and reached the tournament for the second consecutive year. The Hounds won nine conference games in 2012-13 with a 7-4 record at home. A resounding 71-57 win at West Texas was a key moment. Last season, Helton led the Greyhounds to their first winning season in 10 years and a sweep of West Texas A&M.

Over his five years at Eastern, the team has had 12 All-Lone Star Conference selections, several LSC Players of the Week and a number of academic honors. In 2012-13, Rodney Blackmon was chosen Daktronics Second Team All-District VI.

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