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In his eighth season at the University of Houston, Melvin Haralson is in his fourth year as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. During the past three seasons, Haralson helped guide the Cougars to 57 wins and two postseason tournaments. Two seasons ago, the Cougars won back-to-back games over nationally-ranked teams for the first time since 1984 and won 21 games for the first time since 1992-93 as well. Three years ago, he helped the Cougars win 18 games and play in a postseason tournament for the first time in three years. During three springs of the last four as recruiting director, Houston's recruiting classes have been nationally ranked among the nation's Top 35 schools. The Cougars were ranked 35th nationally in the Spring of 2004, 15th in 2004-05 and 24th in 2005-06. Haralson was a successful recruiter at each of his last two stops before coming to Houston in 2000. He helped North Texas sign one of the nation's top 21 classes and the Southwest Region's best recruiting class in 1998. Haralson was the head assistant coach on Tom Penders' staff at Texas from 1990-95, when the Longhorns signed two Top 10 nationally-ranked recruiting classes. Haralson came to Houston as an administrative assistant in 2000, a position he held for one year, and was named the director of men's basketball operations in 2001 before being promoted to assistant coach the following season. Haralson served two seasons as an assistant coach on Houston's staff before Penders was named head coach, after which he was promoted to his current position. Before he joined Houston's staff, Haralson was an assistant coach at North Texas for five seasons prior to his tenure at Texas. While he was at Texas, the Longhorns won three Southwest Conference championships and placed four teams in the NCAA Tournament. The two Top 10 nationally-ranked recruiting classes at Texas included three of the best players ever to play for the Longhorns: Terrance Rencher, Reggie Freeman and McDonald's All-American Kris Clack. Rencher is the Longhorns' all-time scoring leader, and Freeman ranks third on the school's career scoring list. Haralson began his coaching career as a student coach at his alma mater, Auburn University. He helped the Tigers reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament in 1988-89. Before he began his coaching career, Haralson was an Honorable-Mention All-American high school player at perennial powerhouse Murrah High School in Jackson, Miss. Haralson began his collegiate career at Lon Morris Junior College in Texas, where he earned All-American honors in 1984-85. He transferred to Auburn in 1985-86, and was a member of the Tigers' Elite Eight NCAA Tournament team that beat UNLV in the Houston's former Compaq Center. He earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1989 and was invited to the Los Angeles Clippers' training camp before beginning his coaching career. He and his wife, Tonia, have a son, Isaiah. |
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