Kines began his coaching career at his alma mater, where he served as assistant coach and defensive coordinator through the 1976 season. In 1977, he received an offer to coach the linebackers at Clemson University, where he coached for the next two seasons. In 1979 Kines became linebackers coach at the University of Florida under Charley Pell.

There he spent two years as the linebackers coach, and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1981. In 1985 and 1986, Kines was the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at The University of Alabama before leaving with Ray Perkins to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He served as the Buc’s linebacker coach from 1987-90.

Kines returned to college coaching in 1991 as the defensive coordinator at The University of Arkansas and was promoted to head coach of the Razorbacks in 1992 when Jack Crowe was fired following a season-opening loss to The Citadel. He guided the Razorbacks to a 45-7 victory over South Carolina in the Hogs' first game in the SEC in his first game after taking over for Crowe, and closed the season with a 30-6 rout of archrival LSU in the first game between the schools since the Cotton Bowl following the 1965 season.

He was Arkansas’ assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 1993-94 to Danny Ford before moving on to The University of Georgia. There he served as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator from 1995-98 and as assistant head coach in 1999.

Joe Kines was born on July 13, 1944 in a train car that was en route from Cedartown, Georgia to Piedmont, Alabama. He holds both bachelors and masters degrees from Jacksonville State. Kines is married to the former Rubye Bell and they have one daughter and two grandsons.