COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- University of Maryland head football coach Michael Locksley announced today that George Helow has joined the Terrapins coaching staff. Helow will serve as Maryland's Special Team Coordinator and also coach inside linebackers.
Helow (pronounced Heel-Oh) comes to Maryland from Colorado State where he spent the last four seasons on the defensive staff, serving as the safeties coach for the past two years and as a defensive quality control coach and graduate assistant in 2016-17.
In 2019, Helow oversaw a secondary that allowed just 181.58 yards per game, the seventh best pass defense in the country and best in the Mountain West. Safeties Jamal Hicks and Logan Stewart combined for 193 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions for the Rams as they held seven opponents to under 200 passing yards.
In Helow's first season coaching safeties, in 2018, three of his defensive backs ranked in the top five on the team in tackles while the Rams ranked fourth in the Mountain West, only allowing 232.4 passing yards per game.
Helow has held stints at some of the nation's top collegiate programs during his coaching career, including Alabama, Florida State and Georgia. In 2013, Helow helped lead Florida State to a national title as a defensive graduate assistant. Helow then spent two seasons as a defensive quality control assistant at Georgia in 2014 and 2015.
In 2012, Helow earned his first collegiate coaching job under Nick Saban at Alabama. After helping with the school's junior day, Helow was invited to stay on as an intern in the weight room that spring and summer, and served as a defensive intern in the fall. The Crimson Tide defeated Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship game and during the season allowed just 10.9 points per game.
Helow played collegiately at Ole Miss (2006-10) where he earned a degree in marketing. After redshirting in 2006, he went on to play all 38 games for the Rebels from 2008-10, which included back-to-back Cotton Bowls in 2008 and 2009. Helow, who played mostly on special teams, earned a scholarship before his senior season in 2010. Immediately after graduating, he returned to his high school alma mater, Bishop Kennedy in Jacksonville, Fla., where he coached his younger brother, Peter.
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