ETBU Announces Maddie Melton as Inaugural Head Coach for Women’s Flag Football Program

10/27/2025 6:34:00 PM

BIO: Maddie Melton | Social Media : Instagram | X

MARSHALL, Texas – East Texas Baptist University announces the hiring of Maddie Melton (’24) as the first head coach of the ETBU Women’s Flag Football team, the University’s 29th intercollegiate athletic team. Melton will lead the Tigers into their inaugural season, set to launch in spring 2027.

We are thrilled to have one of our own step into this role. Maddie embodies the same excellence, faith, and servant leadership that ETBU strives to instill in every student. Her background as a national champion softball student-athlete and her experience in performance coaching will provide a strong foundation as she builds this new program.

Ryan Erwin | Senior Vice President for Campus Life and Director of Athletics

A 2024 graduate of East Texas Baptist University with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management, Melton is no stranger to Tiger Athletics. As a standout member of ETBU’s 2024 NCAA Division III National Championship softball team, she played a key role in the Tigers’ national title run.

“I am honored to represent ETBU in this new capacity and to help pioneer the women’s flag football program. I'm especially grateful to ETBU President Dr. J. Blair Blackburn and Senior Vice President for Campus Life Ryan Erwin for believing in me and entrusting me with the opportunity to lead and shape this new program.”

Maddie Melton | Head Coach

Before joining ETBU Athletics as the head flag football coach, Melton served as a graduate assistant for the ETBU Softball team. She also worked as a Performance Coach, specializing in strength and conditioning, as well as speed and agility training for athletes. In that role, she developed comprehensive off-season programs focused on proper technique, injury prevention, and athletic performance. She also coached at APEC Sports Performance in Tyler, where she worked with youth, middle school, high school, and collegiate athletes across multiple sports. During her time there, she facilitated sport-specific movement and weight-training sessions, mentored athletes on resilience, nutrition, and recovery, and assisted with operational management, including client enrollment, parent communication, and marketing coordination.

What excites me most is the opportunity to build something brand new here at ETBU. ETBU changed my life as a student-athlete, and to now be part of launching a women’s program that empowers the next generation is incredibly special. This sport gives more female athletes a platform to compete, grow in their faith, and represent something bigger than themselves. Being able to establish traditions, recruit our first team, and watch the program’s legacy unfold from the ground up is something I’m truly passionate about and so excited for.

Maddie Melton | Head Coach

Melton holds multiple professional certifications, including the Human Kinetics National Coaching Certification and NCCPT Certified Personal Trainer credentials.

A native of Hallsville, Texas, Melton’s athletic career is marked by numerous honors, including being a 2024 NCAA Division III National Champion and a two-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete Award recipient. Prior to her career at ETBU, Melton spent two years playing softball at the University of Texas at Tyler, where she was a two-time Lone Star Conference Champion in 2022 and 2023. She also earned third-place finishes at the NCAA Division II National Championship in both 2022 and 2023. In high school, Melton was named the All-East Texas Player of the Year and the District 15-5A Most Valuable Player in 2021, and earned All-State and All-District honors during her career at Hallsville High School.

Melton’s competitive drive was evident long before her collegiate career. At age 14, she competed in the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick program, the nation’s oldest youth football skills competition established in 1961. The program gives boys and girls ages 6 to 15 the opportunity to showcase their abilities in punting, passing, and placekicking. In 2016, Melton won both local and sectional competitions before advancing to the state championship held at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

ETBU announced the addition of women’s flag football as its newest varsity sport earlier this year, joining the American Southwest Conference in expanding opportunities for female student-athletes.

Recruiting for the inaugural roster is now underway. Prospective student-athletes interested in learning more about ETBU’s women’s flag football program can visit

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