Alcorn State Promotes Robert Raines to Athletics Director

ALCORN STATE, Miss. ­ Alcorn State University has appointed assistant athletics director for compliance and business affairs Robert H.J. Raines to the post of athletics director. He previously served two terms as interim athletics director in which he took over in the absence of Marino H. Casem who served in the same capacity on an interim basis.

Last month, Raines was selected by the NCAA to participate in its Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males. This program is designed for young emerging athletics administrative staff at NCAA member institutions and conferences. Its goal is to address the critical shortage of senior-level ethnic minorities by enhancing job-related competencies in selected areas pertinent to the administration of intercollegiate athletics.

Raines got his start in the Braves' athletics department as the rules compliance coordinator on January 5, 1998 after spending the previous five years as head football coach at Natchez High School and district football coordinator for the Natchez-Adams School District. He was promoted to the rank of assistant athletics director for compliance and business affairs in November 2000.

As assistant athletics director, Raines was responsible for certifying student-athletes for eligibility, athletics aid and competition. He was also responsible for all business affairs within the department. In addition, Raines was also responsible for maintaining student-athletes educational, scholarship and records so that it could be available to the athletics staff, student-athletes and parents. He ensured that the athletics department operated in compliance within institutional, Southwestern Athletic Conference and NCAA rules and regulations.

During Raines tenure at Natchez High, the football program saw vast improvements. In just his second season as head coach, his team posted the school's first nine win season in which it was the district runner-up and made the state playoffs for the first time since consolidation. His 1995 team achieved a number six ranking in the state of Mississippi's "Super Ten" polls.

In Raines fourth year as head coach, his 1997 team posted an eleven-game win season in which they were Region 3-AAAAA Champions for the first time in the school's history and advanced to the South State Championship before falling to the eventual state champion, Moss Point High School. His team ended the season ranked third in the Mississippi Class AAAAA division.

Prior to coaching at Natchez High School, Raines held offensive coordinator positions at Greenwood, Biloxi and North Natchez high schools.

The Greenwood, Mississippi native and Amanda Elzy High School product attended Alcorn State University where he was a quarterback on the 1984 nationally ranked SWAC championship team. Raines currently holds the Braves' single-season record for best completion percentage of 65 percent in 1984.

Raines holds a bachelor of arts degree in health and physical education and recreation with minors in Science and Mathematics. He currently holds a Master's Degree in sports management from Northwestern State University, in Natchitoches, Louisiana and has graduate coursework at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.

Raines is the parent of Robert II (12) and Maya-Sydney (4).

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