Ryan Pratt is in his ninth year as the head coach of the HCU men’s soccer team, marking his 12th season with the program.
The 2024 campaign was a memorable one for Pratt and the Huskies. HCU ended its second season in the Ohio Valley Conference with an 8-7-5 overall mark, the most wins in a season for Pratt since taking over the program in 2017. The Huskies ended with a 5-2-3 ledger in league play,finishing ahead of Liberty, UIW and Western Illinois in their four-team pod. HCU also handed SIUE its lone conference defeat in two years of league action with a 1-0 result on Senior Day.
The third-place finish overall in the league regular season and subsequent postseason berth came one season after not qualifying for the tournament in the OVC's first season. HCU earned a first-round bye in the conference tournament before dispatching of Lindenwood in the semifinals 2-0. HCU then succumbed in the championship match, a heartbreaking 3-2 double-overtime loss to host SIUE, which won its second straight league crown.
HCU's eight wins overall also represented the most since the 2015 team won nine matches, and marked the first winning record in a season since that 2015 club. The five conference victories were the most since going 5-6 in the WAC during the 2019 season.
Seven players earned postseason honors for the Huskies, including outgoing seniors Sam Zeeman, who was chosen OVC Defensive Player of the Year and named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region team, and Ethan Giwa-McNeil, Ryan Okerayi and D'Alessandro Herrera were each named to the All-Conference team for the second straight year. Goalkeeper Alex Aitken earned All-Conference honors for the first time while Morgan Worsfold-Gregg was named OVC Freshman of the Year and Thomas Butterworth was selected to the All-Newcomer squad.
During the 2023 season, Pratt led the Huskies into their first OVC season. HCU finished with a 4-8-6 record overall while going 2-4-4 in the league. Two Huskies, D'Alessandro Herrera and Ryan Okerayi, were named first-team All-Conference, with Herrera being named OVC Midfielder of the Year and Okerayi taking home conference Freshman of the Year accolades.
In 2022, the Huskies finished 5-8-6 overall in their final season in the WAC before accepting an invitation to the Ohio Valley Conference as an affiliate member. The Huskies had three players named All-Conference, including two to the All-Freshman team, as well as five WAC All-Academic selections.
In 2019, Pratt led the Huskies back to the WAC tournament after a three-year absence. HBU finished the season 7-11 overall and 5-6 in WAC play, clinching a postseason berth on the final day of the season with a 2-0 win over Kansas City.
In the six seasons in the WAC, Pratt saw 17 players receive All-WAC recognition while totaling 48 Academic All-WAC nods. Collectively, HBU has received recognition by the United Soccer Coaches with the Team Academic Award in each of Pratt’s seasons at the helm.
As the top assistant for the Huskies for three seasons before being named head coach, Pratt played an integral role in all facets of the program. During his tenure as an assistant, the Huskies had two players receive All-WAC honors, one CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree, five CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and numerous Academic All-WAC selections. Additionally, the Huskies received the National Soccer Coaches Association Team Academic Award each season.
Pratt came to HBU from Jacksonville, Fla., where he spent two seasons as the head men’s soccer coach at Jacksonville University. The Dolphins qualified both seasons for the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. Under Pratt’s leadership, the team received back-to-back National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Awards while coaching five All-Conference selections.
Prior to his time at JU, Pratt spent two years as an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Va., from 2010-12. During his time, the Rams had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2003-04. He also coached three NSCAA All-Region players and 10 All-Colonial Athletic Association members.
Pratt spent nine seasons as the head men’s soccer coach at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Ala. He had an overall record of 99-61-12 and a 43-17-2 conference mark. He set the program record with 18 wins in 2007 and had a perfect conference record (6-0) in 2008. The Falcons went to the NCAA Division II National Tournament four times and were national semifinalists in 2007. Pratt is the school record holder for all-time wins and all-time winning percentage.
He was the assistant men’s soccer coach at Alabama-Huntsville from 2000-01. He coached one NSCAA All-Region recipient and three Gulf South Conference selections, including First Team All-Conference. He began his coaching career as the assistant women’s coach at UAB from 1997-99.
Pratt earned a bachelor of arts degree at UAB in 1998. He was a four-year letter winner for the Blazers’ men’s soccer team. The team went 54-21-3 and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1994. The Blazers were Conference USA Regular Season Champions the following season, in 1995.
Pratt played semi-professional soccer for both the Alabama Saints and Nashville Metros for the United Systems of Independent Soccer League.
He has a certified United States Soccer Federation “B” License.
