FLORENCE, Ala. -- University of North Alabama men's basketball head coach Tony Pujol has announced the addition of Austin Burnette as an assistant coach. Burnette joined the Lions coaching staff earlier this month after serving as the director of player development/video coordinator at Florida International University during the 2022-23 season.
"My staff and I were impressed with Austin from the start," said Pujol. "His determination and passion for impacting student-athletes are seen in the relationships he has built at all his previous stops. He has already done a phenomenal job of connecting with our players, our staff, and members of our community as soon as he got on campus. His playing and coaching experience will bring tremendous value to the program. North Alabama Men's Basketball is excited to have Austin as a part of the family."
In addition to his time at FIU, Burnette has logged coaching stops at the University of North Georgia and Hargrave Military Academy.
"I'm extremely excited to join the men's basketball program here at North Alabama," said Burnette. "Coach Pujol and everyone here have done a phenomenal job moving the program forward. I am grateful to be a part of it and looking forward to helping the program reach another level."
At FIU, Burnette organized and oversaw player personnel schedules, assisted with travel logistics, supervised graduate assistants/student managers, provided academic support, coordinated with compliance, and contributed to scouting reports. The 2022-23 season was his second stint at FIU after previously serving as a graduate assistant under head coach Jeremy Ballard during the 2020-21 season.
Burnette spent the 2021-22 campaign as an assistant coach at Hargrave Military Academy, a premier college-prep school in Chatham, Virginia. The Tigers finished with a record of 37-5 and ranked #4 nationally among all prep schools. A former player at Hargrave, Burnette was part of the 2016 Prep School National Championship team that finished 47-1.
In 2019-20, Burnette received his first collegiate coaching opportunity at North Georgia.
Burnette played collegiately at Campbell University, finishing his career with a 2019 Big South Regular Season Championship. At Campbell, he competed in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), College Basketball Invitational (CBI), and the College Insider Tournament (CIT).
A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Burnette earned his undergraduate degree from Campbell University and his Master's degree from Florida International University. He has a son, Ace Burnette.
