WKU Coaching Changes: Nord Joins McElwain at Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma Reportedly Looking at Tyson Helton

Western Kentucky's offense ranked fourth in the country with 534.6 yards per game in 2014, a statistic that hasn't gone unnoticed by large programs in conferences like the SEC. WKU's running backs coach in 2014, Greg Nord, has reportedly accepted a position at Florida, where new head coach Jim McElwain is beginning to put together a coaching staff. Nord's two-decade coaching career has also seen him at East Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and Illinois.

Meanwhile, WKU offensive coordinator Tyson Helton is a candidate to fulfill the same position at the University of Georgia, according to Sports Illustrated's Mark Schlabach, and is also rumored to be a candidate for the Oklahoma Sooners. Helton, made offensive coordinator under Brohm in 2014, has helped star quarterback Brandon Doughty and the Hilltopper offense become one of the nation's most explosive arsenals. Doughty led the nation this season in passing yards with 4,830 along with 49 touchdowns, and will be returning to the Hilltoppers after being granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Fresh off a win over Central Michigan in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl, it's tough for fans and players to see those who put together a fantastic Hilltopper offense leave for the SEC, but it's hard to blame coaches for taking the same position at a program in a major conference. It's early in the Western Kentucky offseason, and changes are already happening. Will Tyson Helton leave? Could defensive coordinator Nick Holt be fired for coaching a 2014 defense that ranked 120th in the nation? Only time will tell.