Troy grad JD Pruitt hired as new CACC Baseball Coach
Published 9:05 am Tuesday, June 27, 2023
- Troy graduate JD Pruitt has been one of the top high school baseball coaches in Alabama since taking over the Enterprise program in 2015. He led his Spanish Fort squad to a Final Four appearance in 2023. (Photo by Laura Fezie)
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Troy University graduate – and longtime high school baseball coach – JD Pruitt has been hired as the new head baseball coach at Coastal Alabama Community College in Bay Minette.
Pruitt has been the head coach at Spanish Fort since 2018, guiding the Toros to an impressive 103-58 record during that span with three area crowns and a Final Four appearance this past season. He was named ASWA Class 6A Coach of the Year and al.com Coastal Alabama Coach of the Year this season, as well.
Before coming to Spanish Fort, Pruitt – a native of Skipperville – spent three seasons as the head baseball coach at Enterprise High School. All three of his Wildcat teams earned Area Championships and he also led Enterprise to its first Elite 8 appearance since 2012. His total high school coaching record is 179-95 with six area championships, two Elite 8 appearances and one Final Four appearance.
At Enterprise, Pruitt was also defensive backs coach – responsible for helping develop future Troy University All-American and NFL All-Pro Marcus Jones – and was the strength and conditioning coach for all of Enterprise Athletics.
Pruitt was a star baseball player at GW Long High School, helping his alma mater win three state championships during his high school career and earned a scholarship to Central Alabama Community College. He earned Academic All-American honors there before transferring to the University of Montevallo, where he earned Division II All-American honors twice. In 2018, Pruitt was inducted into the Montevallo Athletics Hall of Fame. At Montevallo, he broke the school’s runs scored record and was named to the Gulf South Conference All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
Pruitt went on to play for three years in the Oakland A’s and San Diego Padres minor league systems. After his playing career ended, Pruitt returned to the Wiregrass and attended Troy University, where he served as a graduate assistant with the baseball team. After earning his Masters Degree in Physical Education at Troy, Pruitt was hired at Enterprise to serve as strength and conditioning coach and assistant football coach in 2011 before taking over the baseball program in 2015.