Antwon Pittman Returns to West Craven: Champion Coach Looks to Rebuild His Roots
For Antwon Pittman, coaching isn’t just about basketball—it’s about home. And after more than a decade climbing the ranks across Eastern North Carolina, he’s right back where it all started West Craven High School.
West Craven High School, where Pittman once roamed the halls as a student-athlete, has officially named the 2004 alum as its new boys basketball head coach. The move comes after the departure of longtime coach David Fernandez, and it marks a full-circle moment for a man molded by the very gym he’ll now command.
“This is extremely special,” Pittman said. “It’s the family high school—my mom went here, my brother went here, my wife went here. It’s an honor to even be considered for this position.”
From Assistant to Architect
Pittman’s coaching journey spans 13 years and multiple stops, all layered with growth, relationships, and results.
His roots run deep in Vanceboro, where he started as an assistant boys basketball coach under Fernandez before switching over to coach the girls team. During that time, he also contributed to the football program—establishing himself as a versatile, trusted leader across West Craven athletics.
He later spent a season at South Johnston High in Johnston County, coaching girls basketball and football, before returning to Craven County to join New Bern High School. At New Bern, he served as the JV boys head coach and varsity assistant for three years.
But it was his time at North Pitt that elevated him to statewide recognition.
Taking over the girls basketball program, Pittman quickly turned the Lady Panthers into one of North Carolina’s premier 2A teams. Over four seasons, he compiled an overall record of 77-33, including back-to-back 28-win campaigns—29 wins in one season and 27 in the next. The run was highlighted by a 2A NCHSAA state championship, multiple conference titles, and a culture shift that emphasized accountability, development, and championship-level effort.
“Really, the first year at North Pitt kind of prepared me for this one,” Pittman said. “I came in after a good coach in Coach Knight, just like I’m coming in now after Coach Fernandez, and I had to put my own stamp on the program.”
His teams at North Pitt featured talented, coachable players like Jordan Speller and Zamariah Jones, who helped power deep postseason runs. Pittman created an environment where young talent thrived alongside senior leadership—a formula he hopes to replicate at West Craven.
A Rebuild in the Making
The job won’t be easy.
West Craven’s boys team finished 5-17 last season, and has managed just one winning season in the last six years. The program is searching for identity, stability, and a spark—and Pittman sees a familiar opportunity in that challenge.
“This situation reminds me of my first year at North Pitt,” he said. “I’ve got a really good freshman class led by Jaden Bryant. He’s going to be extremely good if he keeps working—his ceiling is crazy. Caiden Riggs, a sophomore, played JV last year but had a really strong summer. And senior Jaden Hall, who we’ll rely on heavily, has the pedigree—his brother was a standout here.”
It’s a roster Pittman believes in: young, raw, and ready to compete.
“Of course, everybody wants to win a state championship,” he said. “But right now, the goal is to rebuild and make us competitive again. That’s the first step.”
Doing It the Right Way
Ask Pittman what he wants the West Craven community to expect, and his answer comes without hesitation.
“You’re going to see guys that give everything they’ve got and leave it all out on the court,” he said. “We’re going to have fun doing it. We’ll play a fun brand of basketball, but we’re also going to do things the right way.”
That means more than just up-tempo offense or high-effort defense. It means instilling discipline, character, and buy-in from top to bottom. It means representing the school with pride in the community. And it means a team that plays for more than just the scoreboard.
“I believe that if you develop better people, you get better athletes,” Pittman said. “The product will show through the way we practice, the way we carry ourselves, and the way we play.”
Full Circle, Full Intent
While the coaching carousel often spins with career advancement in mind, Pittman’s return to West Craven isn’t about climbing—it’s about planting roots.
“It wasn’t something I was actively looking for,” he admitted. “I had everybody returning at North Pitt and was expecting big things this year. But when Coach Fernandez said he might be stepping down and gauged my interest, it just felt right. It was hard to pass up an opportunity to go home and make a difference.”
And now, with years of experience and a championship pedigree in his back pocket, Pittman steps back into the gym that helped shape him—this time as the leader of a new era.
He’s not here for nostalgia. He’s here to build.
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