Johnathan Pruden joined the Bloomsburg football staff in July of 2024 as the defensive backs coach.
Pruden comes from Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East rival West Chester after he spent a season with the Golden Rams in the same role in 2023. He has six years of collegiate football coaching experience and nine years overall as a college coach, including three seasons as an assistant track & field coach.
While at West Chester, Pruden was responsible for all aspects of coaching the defensive back unit while coordinating pre-season tryouts, training camps, and special workshops to support the team goals. Pruden’s defensive backs posted 11 interceptions in 2023, increasing the INT total by five from the season prior. West Chester collected five interceptions from three different players, including three by Izaiah McPherson. The five INT game was a program record for the Golden Rams.
Prior to joining the WCU staff, Pruden was the defensive backs coach at PSAC West opponent, Clarion, from 2022-2023. His unit had 12 interceptions during the 2022 season, ranking fifth in the PSAC, and had four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. The defense gave up 51 fewer passing yards per game during 2022 than they did in 2021 under Pruden’s guidance. He also served as the head equipment manager during that time.
Pruden’s coaching career has included stops at the high school and college levels, most recently at Cherry Hill West High School in New Jersey from 2021-22. There, Pruden served as the assistant defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, as well as an assistant on the track & field teams. Before that, he was the defensive coordinator for the New Jersey Warriors Junior College football team in 2019, where he contributed to a victory over a National Rank Division opponent. He also spent a season as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Burlington City High School, where he developed his own playbook and formulated game plans.
Pruden was a scholarship athlete at Charleston, where he was part of the Golden Eagle team that ranked 10th in the nation. During his time there, he was voted a captain by his teammates. He later went on to work as a defensive backs coach for the Golden Eagles.
His experience also includes extensive work with video editing and production. Pruden has worked as a Saber Logger and Film Editor for NFL Films, creating edits with multiple camera angles, graphics and effects.
Pruden graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Social and Behavioral Science from Los Angeles Pierce College in 2014. He later earned his Bachelor of Science in Sports and Fitness Administration from the University of Charleston (W.Va.) in 2020.
7/25/2024
