7 min read
Major Takeaways
- Alabama State named Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins as general manager of its men’s basketball program on Tuesday night in Montgomery.
- Wilkins will work on fundraising, donor engagement, name image and likeness partnerships, revenue sharing, roster planning and player development.
- The hire pairs a basketball legend with new head coach Chris Wright as the Hornets open the season on November 3 against Texas A and M.
- For HBCU programs fighting for resources in the NIL era, a name like Wilkins opens doors that talent alone cannot.
Dominique Wilkins is bringing his Hall of Fame name to an HBCU, and Alabama State just made the boldest basketball hire of the fall.
The university announced Tuesday evening that Wilkins will serve as general manager of the men’s basketball program in Montgomery.
The news landed during the annual Basketball Tipoff Reception, in front of alumni, fans, students and community members on campus.
It is a headline hire for the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and it is a serious business move dressed as a celebration.
Dominique Wilkins Brings Star Power to Alabama State
Wilkins, known everywhere as the Human Highlight Film, remains one of the most electrifying scorers the game has ever produced.
He averaged 21.6 points and 7.5 rebounds a game at Georgia before Utah drafted him third overall in 1982.
Utah traded him to Atlanta before he played a game there, and he flourished across parts of 12 seasons with the Hawks.
He made nine All Star teams, earned seven All NBA honors and won the league scoring title in 1986 at 30.3 points a game.
He finished his career with 26,668 points and entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Atlanta retired his number 21 jersey in 2001 and unveiled a bronze statue of him outside its arena in March 2015.
In 2021 he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, a list reserved for the greatest players in league history.
After his playing days, he stayed in the game through front office and broadcasting work with the Hawks in Atlanta.
What Wilkins Will Actually Do in Montgomery
This is not a ceremonial title, and the job description Alabama State published makes that plain for everyone watching.
Wilkins will work with athletics leaders and the coaching staff on fundraising and donor engagement across the program.
His portfolio also covers name image and likeness partnerships, revenue sharing, roster planning and student athlete development.
That list is basically the whole modern college basketball economy, the part played off the court with money and relationships.
“To be at a place like Alabama State University is exciting; it’s a new challenge,” Wilkins said on Tuesday night.
“The programs are trending upward, so it’s an exciting time to join them and accelerate the growth,” he added.
Athletics director Dr. Jason Cable pointed to what Wilkins models for young players beyond the highlights everyone still watches.
“His passion for educating young people, his knowledge and experience in basketball at the highest level, and his genuine willingness to give back make him ideal for our program,” Cable said.
“We are proud to welcome him to the Hornet family,” Cable said as the school rolled out the hire.
A New Era Under Head Coach Chris Wright
Wilkins arrives alongside a new head coach, because Alabama State is rebuilding its basketball operation on every level at once.
Chris Wright takes over the men’s program this season after four strong seasons at Langston University, another HBCU.
Wright won 121 games and lost only 21 at Langston, reaching two NAIA national championship games in four years.
He took over a Langston team that had won one game and led it to 31 wins in his first season.
That turnaround earned him NAIA National Coach of the Year honors and a reputation as a program builder.
He succeeds Tony Madlock, who led the Hornets for four seasons before joining the coaching staff at Memphis.
The Hornets reached the NCAA tournament in 2025 for the first time in 14 years, beating Saint Francis at the buzzer in the First Four.
Last season was harder, ending with 10 wins and 22 losses, and it closed the Madlock chapter in Montgomery.
Wright inherits a proven scorer in guard Michael James, a transfer from Mississippi Valley State who averaged 21.4 points a game last season.
James earned preseason All SWAC first team recognition, giving the new staff a conference star to build around right away.
On the women’s side, coach Johnetta Hayes enters her second season after a winning debut with 17 victories last year.
The Hornets play at the Dunn Oliver Acadome, a 7,400 seat arena that has hosted Hornet basketball since 1992.
Why This Hire Matters for HBCU Basketball
College sports now run on money that HBCU programs have historically had to chase with far smaller budgets.
Rosters turn over every spring through the transfer portal, and players can earn real money from their name and image.
Schools that cannot raise funds and build partnerships watch their best players leave for richer programs every single year.
A general manager with the Rolodex of Dominique Wilkins changes that math in rooms where checks get written.
Corporate partners take the meeting. Alumni pick up the phone. Recruits and their parents listen a little longer.
Wilkins also joins a growing wave of Black basketball legends putting their names behind college programs in this era.
John Wall took the general manager job at Howard, another HBCU, while Shaquille O’Neal took the same role at Sacramento State.
Steph Curry serves as an assistant general manager at Davidson, Trae Young holds that role at Oklahoma and Tracy McGrady advises Wagner.
The difference in Montgomery is the setting, a public HBCU founded in 1867 that competes in the SWAC at the Division I level.
When a legend chooses a Black institution, the signal reaches far beyond one roster or one season of basketball.
It tells young Black players that HBCU programs intend to compete for talent, attention and resources, not simply survive.
That ambition shows across the SWAC this fall, from Bethune Cookman stunning Jackson State on the football field to Tennessee State topping Morgan State in a meeting of proud HBCU programs.
The Road Ahead for the Hornets
None of this guarantees wins, and Wilkins himself framed the moment as a challenge rather than a coronation.
The Hornets open the season on November 3 against Texas A and M, a heavyweight test for a remade program.
What Alabama State has bought itself is credibility, and credibility is the currency that buys everything else in this era.
It buys donor patience during a rebuild, recruit curiosity during the portal season and national attention during a long winter.
For a fan base that filled the Tipoff Reception to hear the news, Tuesday night already felt like a statement.
Alabama State is not waiting for the new economics of college basketball to come to Montgomery on fair terms.
The school went out and hired one of the most famous names in the sport to go get its share.
Follow continuing HBCU sports coverage and the stories shaping Black communities at Urban City Podcast as the Hornets begin the Wilkins and Wright era.
