PRAIRIE VIEW – Prairie View A&M head women's basketball coach Sandy Pugh announced the addition of Courtney G. Pruitt as assistant head coach to her staff. Pruitt joins the Panthers following a five-year stint as Alcorn State's head coach, where she oversaw the development of some of the top players within the Southwestern Athletic Conference during her tenure and authored one of the country's most aggressive defensive units.
"I'm so thrilled to have inked the deal to get Courtney to Prairie View A&M," Head Coach Sandy Pugh said. "Wow. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have her be a part of our basketball team. To be able to get a coach of her pedigree and experience to work with our ladies is simply amazing. I didn't want it to leak or for anybody to steal her while she was a free agent. I have the utmost respect for Courtney and what she's accomplished in her coaching career as well as the amount of basketball knowledge she has."
During the 2019-20 season, she presided over the nation's number one defense for steals, steals per game and turnovers forced per game while placing inside the top-20 for turnover margin as well. Alcorn more than tripled the team's win total from a season prior and ultimately posted its highest win total in eight seasons as well as its best conference record in three years. Alcorn State finished ranked in the top 15 nationally for steals per game three times in Pruitt's tenure.
"I'm hoping she can bring that trademark of tenacity that you typically find with a Pruitt-coached team game in and game out, that full-court pressure to couple with what we already do," Pugh said. "Those two things combined will be explosive. When you talk about Courtney, you hear about how she's a phenomenal woman in how she challenges and pushes. She's a giver in terms of assisting her players and pushing them to be the best they can be at every level. She buys in fully to our philosophy in every facet of what we do. It's a win-win, a slam dunk and a home run, and I'm excited to get her working."
No stranger to Texas, Pruitt coached several all-SWAC honorees as well as the 2015-16 SWAC Player of the Year in Norianna Haynes and the 2016-17 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in Henrietta Wells and Alexus Freeman, respectively.
"The biggest thing I bring to the table is defense," Pruitt said. "Alcorn had the number one pressure defense in the NCAA when I was there, and I want to make Prairie View A&M's defense just as sound. I want us to be number in that aspect. Coach (Sandy) Pugh has a great offensive mind, so I think we can tag-team it. I want to win a championship at Prairie View and win one with her. I figure why not do it in my home state."
Prior to Alcorn, Pruitt was the head coach at Wiley College where she carved out a hall of fame career in leading the Lady Wildcats to 3 NAIA National Tournament Appearances, 1 Final Four Appearance, 2 Red River Athletic Conference Titles, and 1 Tournament title. She also coached 3 All-Americans and received two back to back coach of the year awards in 2012–2013 & 2013-2014 season. Pruitt also held stints at Lon Morris College (2005-08), Ranger College (2008-10) and Tyler Junior College (2010-11).
With a talented team chock-full of length and athleticism to work with, Pruitt expects the Panthers to field one of the nation's most active and stout defensives units.
"I'm really excited about working with this group of ladies, and I think it's going to be an exciting year for Prairie View A&M women's basketball," Pruitt said. "The Panthers are going to be on the prowl, especially on defense. We're going to be thieves on the court. Expect us to be active and running on the court, as Coach Pugh will have some mustangs out there. We're going to get up and down the court and get after it."
Pruitt earned an associate's degree from Lon Morris College in 2003. She received a bachelor's degree from Newberry College in 2005 and a master's degree from Stephen F. Austin in 2008.
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