Ed Pinckney, the veteran NBA forward who has been with the Heat since spending the 1996-97 season as a player under Pat Riley, left the organization Friday to become an assistant coach at Villanova.

Despite developing close ties to South Florida through his broadcasting work with the Heat and various business ventures in the area, Pinckney said the opportunity to return to his alma mater was too good to bypass.

Pinckney was most valuable player of Villanova's 1985 national championship team and is a close friend of Wildcats coach Jay Wright.

"It's just a very unique opportunity," said Pinckney, 40. "How many times are you able to go back to the place where you have had great success, to the area your family is familiar with?"