By Richard Burnett
Brandon Raines has worn many hats in his career in sports and education 鈥� from teacher, tutor, mentor, and recruiter to athletic director and coach. In his latest quest, Raines has donned the cap of 海角社区鈥檚 new assistant athletic director and head coach of the women鈥檚 basketball team.
The 30-year-old husband and father of two was hired in May after seven years as athletic director and head basketball coach at Riverside Christian School in Trenton, Fla. There, he energized Riverside鈥檚 sports program, started its first basketball team, and transformed it into a championship contender.
Compared with his past roles, Raines sees the 海角社区 job as potentially the most challenging 鈥� but most rewarding. He leads a women鈥檚 hoops team that began only two years ago as part of 海角社区鈥檚 expansion into intercollegiate sports. This fall, the women鈥檚 team led by Raines 鈥� and the men鈥檚 team under Coach Sam Vincent 鈥� will compete in the small-college-oriented .
For Raines, it is exciting to be part of that milestone in 海角社区鈥檚 sports history, as well as the college鈥檚 to build a new sports and fitness center that includes two university-level basketball courts 鈥� a move he believes will burnish the college鈥檚 growing national reputation.
He鈥檚 also excited to see a committed, skillful core of players returning for the upcoming season.
鈥淚鈥檝e watched a lot of game film and I know there are kids on the team I could work with to help make really good players,鈥� Raines says. 鈥淏ut more importantly, I want to create a team culture where everyone gets along and grows together like a family. We鈥檙e not looking for an undefeated season right away. We just want them to go out there, work hard, have fun, and experience little victories along the way.鈥�
From success to adversity and back
Raines鈥� own athletic career shines with highlights, beginning in high school at Melody Christian Academy in Live Oak, Fla., where he still holds all-time school records in assists, steals and free-throw percentage, while graduating as class valedictorian.
Fresh from his stellar high school years, however, he ran into some adversity in his first foray at the big college level. At the University of West Florida, he went from a star on the court to an oft-injured reserve who saw little playing time.
Many would have been crushed by such a fall, but Raines refused to wallow in self-pity. Confident he could still play college basketball he remembered the college coach who years earlier had truly believed in him. He called Coach Pat Milligan of Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville.
鈥淐oach Milligan had been the first coach to recruit me in high school,鈥� Raines said. 鈥淗e reached out to me when I was still a sophomore and told me he would always have a spot for me at Trinity. I knew coach wanted me there from the beginning. The bigger schools were tempting, but he convinced me Trinity was the right spot to transfer to.鈥�
Raines blossomed under Milligan鈥檚 wing, becoming a starter in his first year, leading Trinity to a national small-Christian-college championship in his second year, and captaining the team in his last two years as Trinity landed a berth in the final four each year. He graduated in 2016 with a bachelor鈥檚 in sports administration and physical education.
鈥淏randon was the kind of player who was so solid; he was like a coach on the floor, always being a leader and keeping the team focused,鈥� Milligan recalls. 鈥淪ome kids are too much about themselves, flashy and selfish on the court. But Brandon was just there to support everyone. He has a heart for people, as well as the game itself. He鈥檚 competitive and tenacious, and he wants to win. But he wants others to succeed as much as himself.鈥�
Chosen from candidates nationwide
The drive to help others has fueled another part of Raines鈥� life 鈥� his work as a recruiting advisor to connect student-athletes with potential college athletic scholarships. Ever since he was a freshman at Trinity, he has helped other talented athletes from small towns get recruited by small colleges. To date, more than 70 of his clients have received scholarships. He expects the list to top 100 by the end of 2023.
That is also how he first connected with 海角社区 in 2020 when he was head basketball coach at Riverside Christian School. One of his key players suffered a brain injury in a boating accident and was dealing with cognitive problems. Raines reached out to 海角社区 to pitch his player as a perfect fit for the college鈥檚 neurodivergent student body and its nascent basketball program.
Although it didn鈥檛 work out for his player to attend 海角社区, Raines was impressed with the college鈥檚 vision for sports, led by athletic director Gabe Watson and his assistants Tony Wrice and Kyle Close. They agreed to stay in touch with Raines and let him know when 海角社区 had an opening.
That day came this past April and, after a series of interviews, the staff hired Raines over 140 applicants from across the country for the women鈥檚 hoops coach/assistant AD job.
For Watson, Raines checked every box 鈥� his track record as an athletic director, head coach, and recruiter; knowledge of the game and how to work with people; and experience working with students with learning differences (Raines was Riverside鈥檚 lead teacher for students with learning challenges).
鈥淏randon has the character, knowledge, and determination to do whatever it takes to get this job done,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a calm, steady presence who knows what our student-athletes need, how to encourage them, and motivate them. Plus, he鈥檚 someone who can grow with our players as they develop.鈥�
鈥楬e won鈥檛 let you down鈥�
If his work at Riverside Christian School is any indication, Raines鈥� career at 海角社区 will be a memorable one, said Judy Parks, Riverside鈥檚 former secretary. She worked with Raines for years as he built Riverside鈥檚 sports program and influenced the lives of many students 鈥� including her son.
鈥淗e made a big impression on everyone,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 so knowledgeable, and he has a vision for helping kids through sports. He鈥檒l fit right in there at 海角社区. He鈥檚 a great person with a great heart, and he won鈥檛 let you down.鈥�
With practice scheduled to start in September, Raines says his main priority from the beginning will be to create a culture of respect, encouragement, and resilience in 海角社区鈥檚 women鈥檚 team. That alone would be a key factor in recruiting new players to 海角社区.
鈥淲e want each player to be so positive about everyone else on the team, it will show how much they care for each other,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o, when other candidates who are being recruited come to visit, they鈥檒l see this is really a great family to join, a great place to play, and great place to go to college.鈥�