Way before the likes of basketball stars who were small in stature, such as Nate” Tiny” Archibald, Anthony Jerome” ''Spud” Webb, and Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bouges, there was young basketball phenom from Tampa, Fla. known as Herman ''Big Man” Pittman. Not only was he one of Florida’s most prolific high school and college basketball players; he also holds the distinction as one of the state’s most accomplished high school basketball coaches- capturing four state boys’ state championships.

On Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 Pittman joined several other sports figures in attendance at the Broward County Convention Center, who werse inducted in the Broward County Sports High of Fame. Other inductees included, former Florida Marlins baseball star Jeff Conine, mixed martial arts pioneer Ricardo Liborio, U. S. Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, former Miami Dolphin John Offerdahl, and Olympic swim coach Michael Lohberg.

The 82-year-old former college basketball star’s career began back at Carver Junior High then Middleton High School in Tampa, during the 1940’s and spanned five decades including his days as a multi-talented guard on the Florida A & M University (FAMU)basketball team followed by him becoming one of the greatest high school basketball coaches in South Florida history. Beginning in 1955 and over the next several decades, he amassed a record four state high school basketball championships as head boys’ basketball coach at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, including titles in 1959, 1963, 1965 and 1967.

Former football and track coach Robert Green worked alongside Pittman for over 25 years at Dillard High, sharing a few words regarding his co-worker’s recent honor.

“I think he is rather deserving of this award based on him winning four state championships, when things were not quite so easy. He is to be commended not only for what he achieved in basketball but for the way he has molded young men who went on to be-come successful later on in life. He is quite a pillar in the community.”

Coach Pittman refused to take all the credit for compiling such an impressive winning tradition while coaching at Dillard High, rather opting to say that his players were the reason that they won so many titles.

“The reason we had so much success is because it was during the segregation era, all the Black kids had to come to Dillard. My success came because I had all the best athletes from the neighborhood.”

Pittman also took a page out of FAMU legendary football Coach Alonzo Smith “Jake” Gaither’s playbook on life. Pittman also played quarterback. albeit on the scout team at FAMU, under him.

“I tried to instill in the boys as Coach Jake Gaither always told us at FAMU - ‘you play the game to win, when you work hard to become winners, when you get out in life - the same thing applies.’ “

Fellow “Rattler” and former FAMU quarterback Purcell “Nick” Houston grew up with Pittman in Tampa where they both excelled on the high school gridiron before attending FAMU on athletic scholarships. Houston coached football at Dillard’s archrival, Blanche Ely High in Pompano Beach before becoming the school’s athletic director. He addressed Pittman the man from the perspective of a close friend.

“Pit is the most unselfish man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing on this earth. Part of his nature was to help those who could not help themselves. I have seen him go out of his way to help others in need on more than several occasions.”

Despite his lifelong achievements as a player and coach and receiving honors at every level of competition including; The FAMU Hall of Fame Award, Kappa Alpha Psi “Man of the Year,” Distinguished Service Award-Hillsboro County, Wall of Fame Broward County Parks & Recreation, Bethune Cookman College Leadership & Devotion Award, and the renaming of the Dillard High School “Panther’s Den” in 2005 after it’s legendary coach; Pittman chose to celebrate the accomplishments of former players and students whose lives he touched.

“It was an honor for me to be selected to the Broward County Hall of Fame. Some of my former players - the late Otis Gray and Butch Ingram - preceded me as inductees. Although I have received numerous honors, as I look back over my career the thing that I am most proud of is having been able to help my former student athletes not only excel on the basketball court but to that many of them went on to attend college and excel in life,'' said Pittman.

Pittman’s eldest daughter Linda of Oviedo, Fla., along with her sisters Lavette and Lisa, joined their mother Nielza and a host of well wishers at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony; to see the man affectionately known as “Big Man” receive his award... She recalled her father’s influence on her and her sisters.

“Dad used the game of basketball to teach us about life. Number one, he said life was about service and team playing. You’re never truly a success when you’re succeeding alone -it always requires a team effort.”