A native of Dallas, Texas, Whitten attended Justin F. Kimball High School. In 1982, he guided the school to a district championship. Whitten chose to attend Stephen F. Austin University, where he was a three-year starter in football and baseball in 1984-86. Whitten earned All-Gulf Star Conference as quarterback for the Jacks. He ranks second in SFA career passing yards and touchdown passes. He was drafted in baseball by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1983 and signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots in 1987. He received his bachelor's degree in education from Stephen F. Austin in 1987 and his master’s in education from Texas Tech in 1990. Whitten was inducted into the SFA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
Coaching career
Following his one-year stint with the Patriots, Whitten began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Texas Tech, working with the quarterbacks during the 1988 and 1989 seasons. He then became quarterbacks coach at New Mexico State University under head coach Jim Hess. In 1994, Whitten was hired by Charlie Bailey to coach the running backs at UTEP. In 1996, Whitten got his first head coaching job as he took over at Tarleton State University. After a turn-around season that earned him Lone Star ConferenceCoach of the Year honors, Whitten left to become offensive coordinator for head coach Dana Dimel at the University of Wyoming. In 1999, he became offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State, before leaving again for Tarleton State. Between 2000 and 2004, Whitten coached Tarleton State to a 45–23 overall record, including a Lone Star Conference championship in 2001; and 2002, 2003 North Division championships. While at Tarleton, Whitten garnered Coach of the Year honors four times, as well as in 2001 being named d2football.com West Region Coach of the Year. In addition he set 30 school records, coached 13 All-Americans, 80 all-conference players, and led the Texans to their first ever playoff appearances in 2001 and 2003. Whitten is the winningest coach in the school's senior college era. In 2005, he accepted an offer by Sam Houston State to succeed longtime coach Ron Randleman. While at Sam Houston, Whitten produced the school's first back to back 1,000 yards rusher in 2006 and 2007, finished the 2008 season ranked sixth nationally in total offense, directed the University's all-time leader in both passing and total offense, coached eight All-Americans and 63 all-conference players. Whitten coached SHSU to a 25–28 record in five seasons. Whitten was hired on March 15, 2010, as the offensive coordinator for Division I Lamar University. In the Cardinal's first season in twenty-one years, Whitten coached the school's first back to back 400 yard passer, and helped lead Lamar to an overall record of 5–6. In the Cardinal's second year under Whitten, school records were set in team passing yards, individual total offense in a game, individual passing yards in a game, completions in a game, and individual receiving yards in game. In 2012, Whitten served as the head football coach at Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Texas. He left the school after one season to become the wide receivers coach at the University of Texas at El Paso. Whitten was named head football coach at Tarleton State for the third time, on December 3, 2015 by athletic directorLonn Reisman.
