WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester University baseball head coach,
Jad Prachniak, announced his resignation this week, ending one of the most successful tenures in school history after nine seasons at the helm of the Golden Rams.
Prachniak took an assistant coaching position on the baseball staff at the University of Delaware under long-time head coach Jim Sherman. A national search for his successor is under way.
"I would like to thank Coach Prachniak for all he has done for WCU baseball and the athletics program during his nine seasons as our head coach," WCU Director of Athletics,
Terry Beattie, said. "I wish him and his family much happiness and success as he moves on to this next stage of his coaching career."
Under Prachniak's watchful eye, West Chester University's baseball program racked up two national championships, two regional championships, two conference crowns and three PSAC Eastern Division titles. He amassed a 273-127-1 (.682) overall record and boasted a 145-71 (.671) mark against the PSAC's Eastern Division over nine seasons, including the 2020 campaign which was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prachniak's 273 total victories rank as second-most in program history, trailing only West Chester legend Neil Serpico's 297, which were accumulated over a 17-year career. Prachniak also touts the second-highest winning percentage of any West Chester skipper in history and he stands as the only WCU baseball coach ever to win a national championship (2012, 2017).
In eight years of postseason competition, Prachniak landed his charges in the PSAC Championship Game three times. He constructed a 35-19 overall playoff mark and a combined 17-11 ledger in the conference tournament and 18-8 in the NCAA Tournament.
The WCU head coach, lauded as ABCA Field Turf Division II national coach of the year twice (2012, 2017), has mentored the Eastern Division player of the year four times (2012, 2015, 2018, 2019) and the pitcher of the year twice (2012, 2017).
Five former Golden Rams were drafted in the MLB Entry Draft since Prachniak stepped on campus. Two of those five are still active in the professional baseball with Joey Wendle (Tampa Bay Rays) in in the MLB and Joe Gunkel (Hanshu Tigers [Japan professional baseball league]).
Four Golden Rams have also been named ABCA All-Americans in Prachniak's seven seasons. Wendle and Gunkel were first- and second-team All-America selections, respectively, in 2012, while
Shane Dressler in 2017, and
Jared Melone (2018, 2019), were each All-America picks.
