Michael Pittman | Assistant Coach| Northwestern State University

The Servant Leader Coaches Bible Study

Mike Pittman is in his second season at Northwestern State after making his way to the Lady Demons from Alcorn State. Pittman served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Lady Braves. He served in the same role the season prior at Paul Quinn College in Dallas after two years as the head coach at Kimball High School, also in the Dallas area. "I am excited to have coach Pittman join the Demon family," Nimz said. "He brings a lot of experience to the court both at the college and high school levels. "He was part of turning around a college program and was a big help in signing very talented young student-athletes. I believe his dynamic personality will be a big asset in recruiting and fundraising. On top of that, he is from Louisiana and has established relationships with the coaches in the area." With Alcorn, Pittman helped the Lady Braves lead the nation in three defensive categories -- steals per game, forced turnovers per game and total steals, a trio of categories in which the Lady Demons have excelled over the years. Alcorn also saw marked offensive improvement following Pittman’s arrival, boosting its scoring margin by more than 10 points per game while committing an average of nine fewer turnovers per contest than the previous season. The improved offensive production led to a six-point jump in free throw percentage and a drop in opponent field goal percentage. Before moving to Alcorn, Pittman saw similar improvements in his season at Paul Quinn College, ranking in the top 20 nationally in points per game, field goal percentage, rebounds per game and steals per game during the 2018-19 season. A team that advanced to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association semi-finals. Pittman served as the offensive coordinator of a team that saw an 11 percent increase in scoring. The jump to 76.0 point per game ranked 13th in the NAIA at the end of the season coinciding with a 42.5 percent effort from the field, a 3.6 percent increase under the direction of Pittman. Not just an offensive mind, Pittman oversaw a defensive unit that averaged 13.0 steals and 43.0 rebounds per game, ranking 8th and 14th nationally respectively. A New Orleans native, Pittman began his coaching career in the Louisiana prep scene getting his start at North DeSoto High School before his first head coaching job at Grambling Lab a year later. After a handful of years at Minden High School, Pittman made the move to Texas spending 12 years at Ryan High School in Denton before taking the position at Kimball. Along the way Pittman has been closely tied to the collegiate game serving as a camp instructor at Louisiana Tech, North Texas and the University of Texas from 2000 through 2011. Pittman's investment in his players, others, and the game of basketball extends off the court spearheading multiple community service activities during his career. He co-founded an after-school tutorial program at Ryan HS, provided skills training for low-income kids through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and oversaw over 200 youth statewide in partnership with religious organizations in sports initiatives among many other activities. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chefranjohn/support