Andrew Pratt just finished his sixth season as Auburn's associate head coach in 2018-19. He joined the Tigers' staff on June 7, 2013, after spending the previous two years as head coach at Tulane.
“The best part of my job is to be able to work with amazing student-athletes and a Hall of Fame coach each and every day,” Pratt said. “Everyone on this team gives it their best each day and that’s all you can ask for as a coach.”
The 2018-19 season, Pratt’s sixth at Auburn, proved to be a historic one for the program. The Tigers finished tied for third at the NCAA Championship after reaching the semifinals of match play. The team also made it to the semifinals of the SEC Championship, finished fifth at the NCAA Auburn Regional and captured two tournament titles – the Battle at the Beach and the Shootout at Shoal Creek.
One of Pratt’s primary responsibilities as associate head coach involves player development, and this past season saw four different Auburn players win individual titles – the most in a season since 2011-12.
“This team has really put in a lot of work on each of their games,” Pratt said. “It has been great to see each one of them get better in certain areas that they needed improvement in. The biggest difference this year has been their mental game. We have worked hard on eliminating many of the ‘wasted’ mental shots, and they have done a great job. The key now is to take that improvement and build on it for next year. Our goal is to be the toughest team mentally in the country, and I think they showed that this past year at the NCAA Championship.”
Pratt’s fifth season in 2017-18 saw the Tigers take a big step forward as they returned to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2013 following a third-place finish in the NCAA Austin Regional. The team also reached the quarterfinals of match play in the SEC Championship. In 2016-17, Auburn improved in nearly every statistical category from the previous year and made a return trip to the NCAA Regional. The season also included three individual tournament wins.
The 2014-15 season, Pratt’s second at Auburn, he helped lead Auburn to a tournament title at the "Mo" Morial in September, a top-10 ranking early in the season, and a 21st consecutive NCAA Regional appearance.
In his first season on The Plains in 2013-14, Pratt was instrumental in helping lead the Tigers to their 20th consecutive NCAA Regional appearance. Throughout the fall season in 2013, Pratt took over the majority of coaching duties for the Tigers while head coach Kim Evans was undergoing cancer treatment.
During his two seasons at Tulane, Pratt compiled an impressive record which includes an appearance at the 2013 NCAA Championship, appearances at both the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Regionals, the 2013 Conference USA title, 11 Top-5 finishes, 12 Top-10 finishes and being named the 2013 Conference USA Coach of the Year.
Pratt came to The Plains after guiding Tulane to one of the finest seasons in program history. He led the Green Wave to a Conference USA title, a school-best runner-up finish at the NCAA East Regionals and to a school-record ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Tulane posted eight Top-5 finishes in 11 tournaments, which included four runner-up showings, and completed the season ranked 13th in the final Golfstat.com poll. Along the way, Tulane set 11 team or individual single season and career records and four golfers completed the year ranked among Golfstat.com's Top-100.
For his efforts, Pratt was named the 2013 Conference USA and Louisiana Golf Coach of the Year.
Prior to his tenure at Tulane, Pratt spent three seasons as an assistant coach with Tennessee, helping the Lady Vols make three consecutive NCAA Championship appearances and win four regular season tournament titles.
Pratt's own professional experience on the links includes four years on the Nationwide Tour (2004-07) where he compiled five Top-10 finishes and came in runner-up at the 2005 Xerox Classic. Additionally, he was the 2004 and 2005 Tennessee State Open Champion, the 2004 Tennessee State Amateur Champion and appeared in the U.S. Amateur Championship (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) and the 2004 British Amateur Championship.
A native of Bartlett, Tenn., Pratt played collegiately at Tennessee from 1999-03, lettering all four years, and competed in the 2000 and 2003 NCAA Championship, earned All-SEC Second Team honors in 2002 and was named an All-American Academic three times. He received his undergraduate degree in sports management in 2004.
Pratt and his wife, Sara Buff, are the parents of two sons, Cooper and Weston, and two daughters, Grace and Charlee.