Al Pinkins Season 2024-25
Al Pinkins, whose coaching experience has already helped two SEC teams, joins the LSU staff for the 2015-16 season.
The native of Camilla, Georgia, joined the LSU staff in April 2015 after serving for three seasons at Ole Miss and the 2014-15 season at Tennessee. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach from 2003-11 at Middle Tennessee State University.
Pinkins was instrumental in helping the Rebels’ run to the 2013 SEC Tournament Championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance.
Developing front court personnel is certainly one of the things he has come to be known for in the SEC and he will be involved in all aspects of the LSU program including scouting of opponents recruiting and on-court coaching.
While at Ole Miss, Pinkins coached the program’s all-time leading rebounder, Murphy Holloway, and all-time leading shot blocker, Reginald Buckner. Holloway was an All-SEC first-team selection in 2013 and Buckner earned All-Defensive Team recognition that same year, as Ole Miss tied a school record with 27 wins.
In Pinkins’ first season with the Rebels in 2011-12, he helped lead Ole Miss to 20 wins and NIT bid. His work with the post players saw Terrance Henry earn All-SEC status for the first time in his career.
Last year at Tennessee, Pinkins worked with a young and undersized Vol team as they posted a positive rebounding margin, ranking second in the SEC in rebounding defense and fourth in offensive rebounds.
At Middle Tennessee, Pinkins was intimately involved in all aspects of the Blue Raiders program, particularly recruiting throughout the South and developing MTSU’s frontcourt personnel. The 2010 MTSU team advanced to post-season play in the Collegeinsider.com event.
Pinkins had success as a player as well. He was a standout prep performer at Mitchell-Baker High School in Camilla. He helped lead his team to back-to-back state championships in basketball during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons, and he also quarterbacked the MBHS football team to the 1990 Georgia state championship.
Pinkins began his collegiate playing career at Chipola Junior College in Florida in 1993-95, averaging 17.5 points and eight rebounds per game during his two-year career. He then moved on to NC State, where, despite battling injuries, he averaged 9.5 points and seven rebounds. His 1997 Wolfpack team advanced to the second round of the NIT.
After college, Pinkins played professionally, starting with Team Baleno in Zaragoza, Spain, in 1998. He averaged 22 points and nine rebounds over the course of the season.
Pinkins also played for the Raleigh (N.C.) Cougars in the USBL in 1998, and for Minot (N.D.) in the International Basketball Association, where he earned Most Valuable Player honors. Following his IBA stint, Pinkins played overseas for the Qatar Basketball Association (29 points per game, 11 rebounds) and the Chinese Basketball Association (in Shenyang, 11 ppg, 8 rpg).
Pinkins received his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from NC State in 1998. He and his wife, Kara, have three sons – Patton, Pryce and Penn.
The Pinkins File
Years at LSU: First
Birthdate: Dec. 8, 1972
Hometown: Camilla, Georgia
College: NC State, 1998
Wife: Kara
Children: Patton, Pryce, Penn
College Coaching Experience
2003-11: Assistant Coach, Middle Tennessee State
2011-14: Recruiting Coordinator, Assistant Coach, Ole Miss
2014-15: Recruiting Coordinator, Assistant Coach, Tennessee
April 2015-: Assistant Coach, LSU