The Morgan State University Athletics Department has announced the hiring of
Melvin Hines as the Senior Associate Athletics Director/Chief Operating Officer.
Hines will oversee facilities and capital projects, business and finance and sport supervision of football and women's bowling. As the Chief Operating Officer, he will also assist in the development of staff and coaches.
"I am excited to have Mr. Hines join the Bear Family," said
Dena Freeman-Patton, Vice President and Director for Intercollegiate Athletics at Morgan State. "He brings tremendous experience in athletics administration as well as prior coaching experience and has a foundation for student success."
Hines, who spent the previous year as a Senior Associate at Brentwood Partners Consulting Firm, comes to Morgan State bringing more than 25 years of experience in college athletics as both an administrator and coach. He has experience in intercollegiate sports at eight Division I institutions, including Auburn, Louisville, Alabama A&M, Troy, Minnesota, Mississippi, Alabama State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and South Carolina State.
"I would like to thank AD Freeman-Patton for the opportunity to join the Morgan State Family! Morgan State has a rich history and tradition that I look forward to being a part of," said Hines. "It's an honor to have the opportunity to work with AD Freeman-Patton. Her industry recognition and accolades speak for themselves."
In 2020, Hines became the Senior Associate Director of Athletics at South Carolina State after serving a year as the Director of Athletics at Arkansas-Pine Bluff from 2018-19.
Hines would spend nearly six years as the Director of Athletics at Alabama State from 2012-18, after spending the previous two years as the school's Senior Associate Director of Athletics.
Hines spent two years as the Assistant Director/Director of Football Academics at Minnesota and served a year at Troy as the Director of Student-Athlete Services.
During a seven-year stint at Alabama A&M, Hines served as an assistant football coach to becoming the Director of CHAMPS/Life Skills and Academic Advisor. He spent four seasons on the Bulldogs' football staff – three as the wide receivers coach and a year as the outside linebackers coach.
Hines would spend two years as the Director of CHAMPS/Life Skills and Academic Advisor from 2001-03, before returning to the position in 2004. From 2003-04, Hine spent the year as the judicial affairs officer.
His coaching career began as a graduate assistant defense coach at Louisville during the 1997-98 season.
Hines, who was a four-year letterwinner and a two-time Southeastern Conference champion in football at Auburn University, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Adult Education and received his Master's in Education, with a concentration in Sports Administration from the University of Louisville.
