Robert Prunty facts for kids
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Chatham, Virginia, U.S. |
Alma mater | Alabama A&M Hargrave Military Academy |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1993–2001 | Gretna HS (VA) |
2002–2009 | Hargrave Military Academy (VA) |
2010–2012 | Texas Tech (OLB/DE) |
2013 | Cincinnati (AHC/DE) |
2014–2016 | Cincinnati (AHC/co-DC/DL) |
2017 | East Carolina (DC/DL) |
2018–2023 | Hampton |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 26–29 (college) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Awards | |
2011 Scout.com Midlands Recruiter of Year 2012 Scout.com Midlands Recruiter of Year 2012 Scout.com/FOXSportsNext Big 12 Recruiter of the Year |
Robert Prunty is an American college football coach. He is known for helping young players become successful. He was the main football coach at Hampton University from 2018 to 2023.
Contents
Coach Robert Prunty's Journey
Robert Prunty started his coaching career at Gretna High School in Gretna, Virginia. When he arrived, the team had lost 44 games in a row from 1991 to 1995. Coach Prunty helped turn the team around completely. By 2001, they had an amazing season with 11 wins and only 1 loss! After he left Gretna, the team continued to do well, winning four state championships between 2003 and 2008.
Developing Future NFL Players
After his success at Gretna, Coach Prunty became the head football coach at Hargrave Military Academy. He became famous for helping players get ready for the National Football League (NFL). A total of 27 players who trained under Coach Prunty at Hargrave went on to play in the NFL. Two of these players, Peria Jerry and Branden Albert, were even chosen in the first round of the National Football League Draft. Branden Albert later said that Hargrave was very important for his success.
Coach Prunty stayed at Hargrave until the end of the 2009 season. He then took a new job at Texas Tech as a coach for defensive ends and outside linebackers. The people at Hargrave were surprised when he left, saying they "lost a good guy."
Recognized for Recruiting Talent
At Texas Tech, Coach Prunty was also great at finding new talent. In 2011, Texas Tech brought in one of their best groups of new players ever. Because of this, Scout.com named Prunty the "Midlands Recruiter of the Year." He earned this award again in 2012. He was also named the "Big 12 Recruiter of the Year" by Scout.com and FOXSportsNext for 2011–12. This shows how good he was at finding and bringing talented young athletes to the team.
Moving to Cincinnati and East Carolina
After the 2012 football season, Coach Prunty followed his head coach, Tommy Tuberville, to Cincinnati. There, he became an associate head coach and coached defensive ends. He continued to help the team improve their defense.
In 2017, Coach Prunty joined East Carolina as a defensive line coach. Soon after, on September 10, 2017, he was promoted to defensive coordinator. This meant he was in charge of the entire defensive strategy for the team.
Coach Prunty's College Coaching Record
Coach Prunty was the head coach for the Hampton Pirates from 2018 to 2023. Here is a summary of his college coaching record:
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
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Hampton Pirates (NCAA Division I FCS independent) (2018) | |||||||||
2018 | Hampton | 7–3 | |||||||
Hampton Pirates (Big South Conference) (2019–2021) | |||||||||
2019 | Hampton | 5–7 | 1–5 | T–5th | |||||
2020–21 | No team—COVID-19 | ||||||||
2021 | Hampton | 5–6 | 3–4 | T–3rd | |||||
Hampton Pirates (Colonial Athletic Association) (2022) | |||||||||
2022 | Hampton | 4–7 | 1–7 | T–12th | |||||
Hampton Pirates (Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference) (2023) | |||||||||
2023 | Hampton | 5–6 | 3–5 | T–11th | |||||
Hampton: | 26–29 | 8–21 | |||||||
Total: | 26–29 |