Jad Prachniak

The University of Delaware baseball program welcomed Jad Prachniak to its staff in January of 2021 to serve as the team's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

One of the brightest coaches in Division II baseball over the previous nine years, Prachniak works with the Blue Hens' pitching staff in Newark.

Prachniak (pronounced PRACK-knee-ak) spent nine seasons as the head coach at nearby Division II West Chester, leading the Rams to two national championships. He compiled a career record of 273-127-1 (.682), while adding two NCAA Division II Regional crowns and three PSAC eastern division titles to his ledger. He is responsible for the program’s first ever national championship in his first season in 2012 and won his second in 2017. He sits at No. 2 in all-time wins as a head coach at West Chester.

“I’m excited to join a program that has such a strong tradition,” Prachniak said at the time of his hiring. “The University of Delaware has a lot to offer and a bright future which makes it an attractive place to be. I’m grateful for the opportunity provided to me by Coach Sherman and the University of Delaware Athletic Department. I am looking forward to the future of Blue Hen baseball."

The Rams surpassed 30 wins in four of his final five seasons, including a 44-11 season in the national championship season of 2017. Prachniak became the youngest head coach ever to claim two national crowns. He helped four student-athletes earn draft selections, including Joey Wendle, an infielder for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Prachniak was named the Division II Coach of the Year twice (2012 and 2017) and helped four of his players receive Eastern Division Player of the Year and two Pitchers of the Year.

Prior to West Chester, Prachniak served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for CAA-foe William & Mary. With the Tribe, he helped four pitchers get drafted and had one named the CAA Co-Pitcher of the Year in 2011 under his tutelage.

Prachniak is originally from Lincoln, R.I. and graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a teaching certificate in physical education. As a player, he served as a co-captain for Rhode Island’s school-record 35-win season in 2008, capturing the Atlantic 10 Eastern Division title.