Coach's Corner: "Coaching Beyond the Lines: The Helton Way"

There’s a certain authenticity that radiates when you talk to Coach Steve Helton. It's a mix of gratitude, grit, and genuine love for the game. His voice carries the weight of experience, not just from years on the sideline, but from a life shaped by faith, family, and a relentless desire to teach the game the right way.

His story doesn’t begin like most. Steve didn’t pick up a basketball until eighth grade. Before that, it was baseball, football, and soccer. But fate had a plan, in the form of Coach Billy Hicks, his middle school social studies teacher and one of the most respected basketball minds in Kentucky history. Hicks introduced him to discipline, structure, and the art of player development. Every practice was planned down to the second, and every drill had a purpose. “If you can’t handle, pass, and shoot, it doesn’t matter how good your tactics are,” Hicks would tell him. That philosophy stuck, and it became the foundation of everything Coach Helton would one day build.

His college days took him through Alice Lloyd College under the legendary Stepp brothers, and later Sue Bennett College, where he played for Phil Cunningham, now head coach at Louisiana-Monroe. Those experiences shaped the way he saw the game, with preparation, detail, and offensive creativity becoming his trademarks. When injury cut his playing career short, coaching came calling. Brian Evans at Union College gave him his first opportunity, and from that moment, Steve knew this was his calling. “I lived right outside the locker room,” he said with a laugh, remembering those early days. “It wasn’t glamorous, but it was everything I needed.”

Over nearly three decades, the Helton name became synonymous with passion and consistency. Together with his wife, Tara, a decorated coach and fierce competitor in her own right, they built programs that thrived on identity, full-court press, unrelenting tempo, and total buy-in. “We condition with a ball in our hands,” he said. “Every kid in our program learns to dribble, pass, and shoot with no exceptions.” They called it “controlled chaos,” but for those inside it, it was beautiful. Every player knew their role, every coach had a purpose, and every practice was another chance to grow.

But behind that intensity is a story rooted in love, for the game and for each other. Steve and Tara have shared the sideline for 25 years, coaching side by side through every high and low. “I’ve joked for years that I would’ve taken my ball and gone home long ago, but she wouldn’t let me,” Steve said. Their journey together has been nothing short of special, not just building teams, but building families. “Faith, family, education, and basketball,” he said with pride. “That’s the Helton hierarchy.”

That faith has been the glue through every season. It’s what kept them grounded when things didn’t go their way, and it’s what gave them strength when life demanded more than the scoreboard could show. “We’ve always told our players, we’re family. Families may not always agree, but at the end of the day, we love each other and keep pushing forward.”

That lesson became even more real in 2009, when their son Colton Tyler Helton was born. “Coach Hicks always told me I’d be a better coach once I had a child,” Steve said. “He was right.” Coaching your own kid, however, came with its own challenges, constant whispers, opinions, and pressure that only parents in the game can understand. But for the Heltons, it was never about proving anyone wrong. It was about building a foundation of love and accountability that Colton could carry into his own journey.

“Coaching your child is tough,” Steve admitted. “But we’ve tried to put him, and every player we’ve coached, in a position to succeed. We’ve played tough schedules, traveled the country, and wanted every kid to experience something bigger than basketball.” From national tournaments to cross-country showcases, they made sure their teams didn’t just compete, but grew. “Let basketball be your vehicle,” he often tells his players. “Use it to see the world, to meet people, and to shape who you are.”

Now in his 29th year of coaching, this season marks a new chapter, his first as an assistant at Henry Clay High School. For the first time in decades, he won’t share the bench with Tara. Instead, he’ll get a front-row seat to his son’s next step. “I’m grateful for this opportunity,” he said. “I just hope one day we’re blessed with another head coaching job together. Coaching is who we are, it’s not a job, it’s our life.”

Even with the changing landscape of recruiting and the rise of the transfer portal, Steve’s message remains the same. “We still believe in development and doing the work,” he said firmly. “Not every kid will play college basketball, but the ones who truly want it, we’ll help guide every step of the way. You can’t lose faith in the process. You have to believe you belong.”

Faith and family have always been their foundation, the heartbeat of everything they’ve built. “God has blessed us beyond measure,” he said. “Every opportunity, every relationship, every kid we’ve coached, that’s been part of His plan. Basketball gave us a platform, but faith is what keeps us grounded. Family is what keeps us whole.”

After nearly three decades, the Helton name carries more than a record; it carries a legacy of love, leadership, and belief. When you talk to Coach Helton, you realize quickly it’s not just about wins and losses. It’s about the lives touched along the way.

That’s coaching beyond the lines.

That’s The Helton Way.