Northwestern State University of Louisana

Coached: 1913-1950

Played basketball and baseball in his NSU athletics career … a guard on NSU’s two basketball Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship teams in 1915 and 1916 … part of a 14-1 record in 1916 in which they were undefeated against Association teams … outscored opponents 587-286 that season with its only loss coming to Tulane … outfielder for two seasons on the baseball team … inducted into NSU’s Long Purple Line, which recognizes its most accomplished alumni … a pioneer of modern education who was Louisiana’s supervisor of elementary schools and later the director of college curricula for the state department of education … served as NSU’s dean and assisted generations of NSU students by donating more than $120,000 for scholarships.

The first officially appointed head football coach, Prather’s best season on the gridiron was 1932, when the Demons went 7-1 and shut out five opponents … he was 75-50-2 (.590) in 20 seasons until 1934 … most accomplished as an NAIA Hall of Fame basketball coach for 36 years (1913-50), going  473-169 (.737) … his 1948-49 team was his finest, going 23-5 and reaching the NAIA Tournament semifinals … NSU’s basketball arena was named for him …stepped away from coaching and into the president’s office for the college, retiring from that role in 1954.