Jean Melo Hernandez

Jean Melo Fernandez enters his second season as assistant coach of the Hill College Softball Program. Fernandez joined the coaching staff of Hill College in 2024 with longtime mentor Gregory Cary, the college’s head softball coach.  

With more than a decade of experience in higher education athletics, Fernandez brings a wealth of extensive knowledge of the innerworkings of running an athletics program. 

Born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Fernandez moved to New York in 2011, where he attended Monroe College in New Rochelle, New York. After graduating, he became the equipment manager for the entire sports program at the college.  

During his time at Monroe, Fernandez met Gregory Cary in 2014, who was then the head softball coach at Monroe College. The introduction to Cary initiated Fernandez’s coaching career. Under Cary’s suggestion, he began coaching a 14U travel team in Port Chester, New York. Over the next five years, Fernandez participated in the Graphic Edge and Salt City Bowl games, managed equipment for 15 athletic programs, and contributed to additional travel softball programs.  

In 2020, Fernandez volunteered as an assistant coach under Cary at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, where he helped guide the team to a fourth-place finish at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series. In 2022, he reconnected with Cary at Highland Community College in Highland, Kansas, as assistant softball coach. There he later served as the head softball coach for the 2023–2024 season, leading the program to a 26–26 overall record. 

In addition to coaching, Fernandez assists with recruiting, individual and group training, as well as residence life responsibilities at Hill College. He is also bilingual, fluent in English and Spanish, and is driven by a commitment to developing players and building competitive, values-focused programs. 

He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Monroe College.