Melton always had a love of the game and found his calling in coaching.

He has criss-crossed the globe, enjoying success in his homeland of the United States, Europe and Australia.

The latest chapter of Melton’s career sees him in Tamworth, where he arrived at the weekend to take up his role as head coach of the Thunderbolts women’s team.

“I got here on Saturday and had a chance to watch the men play on Saturday night,” Melton said.

“I visited here in November and it’s great to be here now to get into our preparation for the upcoming season.

“I get a great feeling from the people on the (Tamworth Basketball Association) board.”

Melton wasted little time hitting the floor with his team, putting the Thunderbolts women through a testing session at the Sports Dome on Sunday morning.

A key focus was working on the offence, something the American mentor said was imperative ahead of the season tip-off on March 18.

“We haven’t got a lot of time, so every chance we get to have the girls on the court together is one we need to make full use of,” he said.

“I thought they did an excellent job today to grasp what we’re trying to achieve, this is only the start of things for us.

“We’ll work on the fundamentals, both offensively and defensively, which can provide us with a base.”

Melton has broad experience coaching men’s and women’s teams and is no stranger to title success.

During his first stint Down Under, Melton tasted double title success in Western Australia with Lakeside Lightning’s men’s and women’s teams.

This is his third coaching role in Australia, having also guided the Suncoast Clippers men’s side during the 2015 QBL season.

Melton has spent a number of years in Luxembourg and coached the Kordall Steelers in the country’s top-flight competition, the Total League.

He also held an assistant coaching role in the American college system earlier in his career at the University of Southern Indiana and was in charge of ABA club Maryland Nighthawks.

In addition to his role with the women’s team, Melton will double as the TBA’s director of coaching, overseeing the next generation of talents.

“I’m excited about the challenges ahead and helping develop players in Tamworth,” he said.

Melton added the awareness of Australian basketball continues to grow stateside due to the influx of players at the elite level in the NBA and WNBA.

“Australian players have been making strides in the States for many years now,” he said.

“Even though the girls could have done a bit better at the Olympics, they have been a force on the international scene for a long time.

“You’re also seeing record numbers of Australians in the NBA and that’s great because it gives those younger players something to aspire to.”