GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Longtime football coach Mike Pittman is now part of the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

Pittman, who led Suwannee to four consecutive state titles from 1987 to 1990, was one of the eight members of the 2017 FHSAA Hall of Fame class that was celebrated during Sunday’s induction ceremony in Gainesville.

“It was a very nice affair,” Pittman said of the event, which was originally scheduled for last September, but was postponed because of Hurricane Irma. “I was happy to have some some former assistants — Ron Hall and Dave Campbell — show up. A former player, Chris Howard, was also there. A really nice night.”

Pittman was the first coach in Florida to win four consecutive state championships. In 11 seasons with his high school alma mater, Suwannee, Pittman finished with a 92-37 record.

At SHS, he began the tradition of taking his team out of town for summer camp. It’s a tradition that many programs have now adopted.

“You got to know your coaches, know your team. You find out a lot about your kids when you’re having three-a-day practices,” Pittman said. “It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I had.”

Of the four state championships, the one that Pittman remembers the most is the 1988 state title. It was a game played at SHS in front of a huge home crowd.

“A great atmosphere. We had close to 1,000 people here the night before,” Pittman said.

“I enjoyed going to school here. I enjoyed coaching in Suwannee County. I was very lucky.”

In addition to the state championships, Pittman also guided Suwannee to eight district titles and two additional regional finals. He was inducted into the SHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

After coaching the Bulldogs, Pittman spent four years in Georgia at Lanier County helping restart a program that hadn’t competed since 1927. He also coached at Hamilton County High School from 2001-04 and 2009-12, taking the Trojans to the playoffs three times.