A new era in the history of Wildcat football at Fort Valley State University is about to begin. The university announced Donald Pittman, former Albany State University Rams Offensive Coordinator, as the new head football coach of the Wildcats.

A 14-member search committee including retired FVSU coach Stan Lomax, interim director of football operations Wilson Gosier, state law maker and FVSU alumni Freddie Powell-Sims and Calvin Smyre selected Pittman from a pool of forty applicants. Dr. Larry E. Rivers – who made the final decision — announced the selection during an afternoon press conference before an anxious crowd of Wildcat fans.

“This marks a great new day in the history of Wildcat football. I have confidence that Coach Pittman is going to lead our program to great new heights,” said Dr. Larry E. Rivers, president of Fort Valley State University. “I also believe he’s going to make sure our Wildcat players are scholars, as well as athletes.”

Pittman, a native of Las Vegas, has 30 years of experience in coaching college football. He served as the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M -Kingsville University’s Javelinas football program and was a running back coach for 15 years before landing the offensive coordinator position at Albany State University.

“I’m very excited. I think it’s a blessing,” Pittman said. “I know all the tradition at FVSU, from Coach Porter onward, and it’s a pleasure and honor to follow in his footsteps.”

“All of the candidates were good, and capable,” said Sean Stanley, FVSU interim athletics director. “Coach Pittman was the right selection at this time: he has a brilliant offensive mind. I’ve seen him do extraordinary things with the offense at ASU. We feel that he is the right choice for what we need right now, and I’m very excited.”

At the end of the 2008 football season, FVSU head coach Deondri Clark resigned, citing the need to make way for new leadership. Clark remains at the university and is employed in the academic and student affairs departments. A new, 10,000 seat stadium is under construction and is scheduled for completion by the time the 2009 football season begins.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 4:38 pm and is filed under Football, Ft. Valley State, SIAC News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.