Former Mitchell-Baker star Al Pinkins named interim head basketball coach at Florida

Camilla native Al Pinkins was named interim head men’s basketball coach at Florida on Sunday after the Gators’ Mike White was hired to lead the Georgia Bulldogs’ program.

Pinkins, a former multi-sport star at Mitchell-Baker, will lead the Gators into the National Invitation Tournament, where they are a No. 3 seed. Florida (19-13) opens the NIT at home against Iona.

Pinkins was named Florida’s associate head coach in 2018 after previously working 15 seasons as a college coach, including five in the SEC at LSU and Tennessee.

As a high-schooler, Pinkins led Mitchell-Baker to basketball state titles in 1990 and 1991, as well as to a state football title in 1990. He played college basketball at Chipola Junior College (Fla.) and North Carolina State before playing pro basketball overseas and in the U.S.