Dominique Wilkins Alabama State is official. The NBA Hall of Famer is the new general manager of the Hornets’ men’s basketball program. Alabama State introduced him Tuesday night at its 2026 Basketball Tip-Off Dinner, according to Sports Illustrated’s HBCU Legends. Athletics director Dr. Jason Cable made the announcement in front of alumni, fans, students, and community members in Montgomery.
Dominique Wilkins Alabama State: What the GM Will Do
The job covers the business side of the program. HBCU Sports reports Wilkins will work with athletics administrators and the coaching staff. His portfolio includes fundraising, donor relations, NIL partnerships, revenue sharing, roster management, and player development. The school expects his name and his long ties to the Southeast to open doors with alumni, supporters, and corporate partners.
Alabama State says the new position reflects the changing business of college sports, according to Yahoo Sports. It also called the role a way to help with recruiting, development, and retention. Yahoo described Wilkins as the latest former NBA player to take on executive leadership in HBCU athletics.
Cable listed Wilkins’s “genuine willingness to give back” among the reasons for the hire. Wilkins keeps it simple. “It’s a new challenge,” he said. He also told WSFA he wants to prioritize educating players off the court. He added that the programs are “trending upward” and that he wants to help accelerate the growth. The school hasn’t detailed his exact responsibilities or how his role fits with the coaches’ authority, SI noted.
The Hall of Fame Résumé
Wilkins earned the nickname “The Human Highlight Film” during 12 seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. The former Georgia standout made nine All-Star teams and won the 1985-86 scoring title at 30.3 points per game. He scored 26,668 points in his NBA career and entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Atlanta retired his No. 21 in 2001, and the league put him on its 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. A bronze statue stands outside State Farm Arena. After his playing days, he stayed close to the game through front-office and broadcasting work with the Hawks.
A Program in Transition
Wilkins lands in a basketball department with new leadership. Chris Wright took over as men’s coach in April after four seasons at Langston. There he went 121-21 and reached the NAIA championship game in 2024 and 2026. He inherited a Langston team that finished 1-27 in 2021-22 and led it to a 31-3 record the next year. Wright’s career mark is 332-121, and he previously coached at Talladega College.
He replaced Tony Madlock, who stepped down in March. Wright’s first roster includes guard Michael James, a Mississippi Valley State transfer. He made the preseason All-SWAC first team after averaging 21.4 points per game. On the women’s side, Johnetta Hayes enters her second season after a 17-16 year and a 12-6 SWAC record. She succeeded Freda Freeman-Jackson, who retired after 27 seasons.
The Hornets also carry some recent momentum. Alabama State beat Saint Francis in the First Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament, the program’s only NCAA tournament win. That gives the program a recent high point to build on. The Hornets have made five NCAA tournament appearances, most recently in 2025, and they play home games at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
The NIL Connection
The Hornet NIL Fund presented the Tip-Off Dinner, and proceeds support its work for student-athletes, per SI. It also introduced both teams and gave coaches a chance to preview their seasons. The 2025 dinner sold out with Penny Hardaway and Cynthia Cooper as featured guests. Wilkins’ reveal built on a model the school had already used.
That’s the real test for the hire. The school announced Wilkins earlier in October as the dinner’s featured guest, but it saved the GM news for the room. NIL and revenue sharing now decide which HBCU programs can keep players. A Hall of Famer with national relationships could help Alabama State compete for donors.
What to Watch
Fans have reacted with excitement and some caution. One Yahoo headline captured it with “Hope It Works Out.” That’s fair. A GM title carries weight, but the school still has to show how Wilkins, Wright, and Cable will divide the work. The first signs will come in fundraising totals, roster stability, and how the Hornets perform in SWAC play.
For an Alabama State University program rebuilding under a new coach, the hire makes a statement. It signals that HBCU basketball programs are chasing the same business tools as bigger schools. Whether Dominique Wilkins Alabama State becomes a model or a one-off depends on what he builds, not who he is.
