Tarleton State athletic director Lonn Reisman took an absolutely massive risk calling Todd Whitten for the third time in the fall of 2015, a gut-wrenching decision that ultimately saved a life and built an FCS powerhouse. This isn’t just about football, folks. This is about belief when everything looks lost.
The Downward Spiral That Almost Cost Everything
Whitten remembers thinking he had everyone fooled. Alcohol was a chokehold on his life, pulling at him even as his football coaching career spiraled. His wife, Dana, sometimes urged him to get help, but that only caused an argument. Whitten himself admits, “At that point, I wasn’t going to hear anybody really.” He was winning games, sure, and still getting jobs, but the alcohol just consumed more and more. He hit rock bottom, drinking almost a case of beer a day at the peak of his addiction, obsessed with the next taste. After five unsuccessful years as Sam Houston’s head coach, getting fired in 2009, Whitten bounced from stop to stop, the reliance on alcohol following him every step of the way: offensive coordinator at Lamar, a high school head coach in Texas, receivers coach at UTEP. It was a brutal stretch, and you just knew something had to give.
A Third Chance, A Desperate Confession
Then Reisman called. This wasn’t just any call; it was from an old friend who first hired a 31-year-old Whitten back in 1996, and then again four years later. Whitten had stabilized the program in its Division II infancy the first time, then transformed Tarleton State into a winner, grabbing their first Lone Star Conference championship and hitting the DII playoffs twice from 2000-04. But calling him a *third* time in 2015? That was a serious gamble, especially since Reisman knew all about Whitten’s alcohol reliance. He directly asked Whitten on the phone, and Whitten pushed back. Reisman needed to meet him in person. When Reisman finally saw his friend again after years, the change was stark: swollen face, reddened cheeks. This wasn’t the man who’d twice elevated Tarleton State football. Reisman, choking up with emotion even now thinking about it, challenged Whitten, telling him he had a problem. That conversation was the breakthrough. Whitten, exhausted from years of lies to himself and everyone else, finally said it aloud: He was an alcoholic. Reisman, a man who believes deeply in second chances, hired him anyway, even convincing a skeptical President Dominic Dottavio.
Reisman believed in Whitten as a coach, yes, but even more importantly, as a man capable of turning his life around. And five years later, what do we have? A few of the most successful seasons in Tarleton State history. That belief, that raw honesty, and that hard-fought comeback are what make this story incredible. Whitten’s powerful words, “You saved my life,” perfectly capture the stakes and the incredible journey. It’s not just a coaching hire, it’s a testament to what’s possible when someone believes in you. Tarleton State fans should be ready for this program to keep building, because with a leader like Whitten, anything feels possible.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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