After more than a month of searching, the Highland Home Flying Squadron have a new coach to lead them in the 2010 season.

At Thursday night’s Crenshaw County Board of Education meeting, Tom Pinkston was named the school’s head football coach.

“I’m definitely thrilled,” said Pinkston, who is originally from the Mount Meigs/Pike Road area. “I’ve always kept up with Highland Home. I’m from a small town, and it just fits me. It reminds me of home.”

“He’s been around football for years, and he’s coached at good schools,” said Highland Home principal Joseph Eiland. “We’re excited to have him on.”

Pinkston has been a coach since 1987, but this marks his first head-coaching job.

He has spent the last year serving as Greenville High School’s running back and kicking coach on a Tiger team that won an area championship.

Pinkston also has two state championships under his belt while as an assistant coach at Robert E. Lee High School in addition to having coached at Prattville High School and Opelika High School.

Although he hasn’t coached in Crenshaw County before, there is still a connection to the county and Highland Home.

Another assistant coach at Lee during his tenure was Clay Jordan, who served as coach of the Squadron for several years during the 1960s.

“I was a young coach just getting started and he was kind of at the end of his career, but we spent several years on the same staff,” Pinkston said.

Pinkston will soon be starting his new job at Highland Home, and he said he’s excited about the future.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s a challenge, and I haven’t backed down from one yet. I’m about to make the transition there, and from my experience, Highland Home is full of outstanding people.”

“I’m proud and fortunate to get the job,” Pinkston added.