Robert Prunty is an American

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

coach. He was the head football coach at

Hampton University Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missiona ...

from 2018 to 2023.

Career

Prunty was the head football coach for Gretna High School in Gretna, Virginia for several years. During his tenure, he led the program from suffering 44 consecutive losses from 1991 to 1995, to an 11–1 season in 2001. After his departure from Gretna, the program went on to win four state championships from 2003 to 2008. From Gretna, Prunty accepted a position as head football coach of

Hargrave Military Academy Hargrave Military Academy (HMA) is a private school, private, all-male, Military school, military boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia. Hargrave is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Chr ...

. He was known for producing players that went on to the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). Twenty-seven of Prunty's players moved up to the NFL, included two first-round draft picks; Peria Jerry and Branden Albert Branden Albert would go on to credit Hargrave for his success. Prunty held the position at Hargrave until the end of the 2009 season, accepting the position of defensive ends and outside linebackers coach for Texas Tech under head coach

Tommy Tuberville Thomas Hawley Tuberville (; born September 18, 1954) is an American politician and retired college football coach who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from Alabama, a seat he has held since 2021. Before ...

. Hargrave Director of Communications, William Wiebking, expressed surprise at Prunty's departure, stating "We lost a good guy. They just came and plucked him away. We're all stunned.". In 2011, following the highest ranked recruiting class in Texas Tech history, Prunty earned recognition from Scout.com as the Midlands Recruiter of the Year. Another highly ranked class was produced following the 5–7 2011 Texas Tech Red Raiders football season. Prunty's recruiting again earned him national recognition as the 2012 Scout.com Midlands Recruiter of the Year, as well as the 2011–12 Scout.com/FOXSportsNext Big 12 Recruiter of the Year. In 2017, Prunty became the defensive line coach for East Carolina, but was promoted to defensive coordinator on September 10, 2017, replacing Kenwick Thompson, who was "reassigned" within the football program in a non-coaching role.

Cincinnati

Following head coach

's departure to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, Prunty remained a member of the Texas Tech staff through the 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. Following the game, it was announced on January 4, 2013 that Prunty would be following Tuberville to Cincinnati to accept the position of associate head coach and defensive ends coach.

Head coaching record

College

References

External links

Texas Tech profile

Hampton profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prunty, Robert Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Cincinnati Bearcats football coaches East Carolina Pirates football coaches Hampton Pirates football coaches Texas Tech Red Raiders football coaches Alabama A&M University alumni High school football coaches in Virginia People from Chatham, Virginia African-American coaches of American football 21st-century African-American people