Hines takes over at GHSA

The Georgia High School Association has a new executive director.

The announcement came Tuesday from the GHSA executive committee in Thomaston. The new director is former Houston County School System superintendent Robin Hines.

Hines, who also served as a coach and principal in Houston County, was approved with a three-year contract that will pay him a base salary of $125,000 per year. He is a Valdosta State graduate who holds a doctorate from Nova Southeastern.

Hines replaces Gary Phillips who retired after state legislators threatened legislation to replace the GHSA with a new high school athletic association.

The executive committee also began a review of a proposal currently known as the “50 percent rule.”

The proposal is a response to concerns over the recent perceived increase of student transfers for athletic purposes.

The “50 percent rule,” as proposed, stated: “If a student makes a bona fide move from one GHSA high school to another GHSA high school, he/she will be required to sit out (i.e. shall be ineligible) for the first 50 percent of all competitions for one calendar year from the date of transfer unless the “sending” high school waives the 50 percent sit out rule.”

The proposal was tabled by the executive committee over concerns about the short-implementation timeframe, per Ron Seibel of The Macon Telegraph.