ITHACA, N.Y. – Following a national search, the Ithaca College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Sam Pratt as the next head coach for the men's rowing program. Pratt will begin his appointment on September 8.

Pratt comes to South Hill after spending the last three years across town at Cornell University as an assistant coach with the men's heavyweight program. During that time, the Big Red competed at the IRA Championships and finished top 13 each year. In 2026 he coached the Second Varsity Eight to a program high 7th place finish at the Eastern Sprints.

Prior to Cornell, Pratt spent two seasons as the head coach of the men's and women's rowing programs at Division III Adrian College in Adrian, Mich.

In his first season as head coach, the program attended the Head of the Charles for the first time in its program's history. The men's V8 ended up being ranked as high as No. 7 in the IRCA Division III poll.

The following year, Adrian finished in the top-half at the Head of the Charles in the Men's Collegiate 8, securing an automatic qualification for the first time in the program's history. Along with its success at the Head of the Charles, it also medaled in the Men's V8 at the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Championships, securing the program's first-ever bid to the IRA National Championships. Pratt was awarded MARC Men's Coach of the Year by his peers in recognition of the team's performance.

His coaching career began at his alma mater, Wesleyan University, where he was an assistant from 2019-21. As a student-athlete, Pratt was a four-year member of the rowing program and a captain his senior season. Between his junior and senior years, he represented the United States at the University World Championships, securing a sixth place finish in the Men's Coxless Four.

A native of London, England, Pratt rowed for four years at Hampton School, during which time he won medals at the National Championships and won gold while representing Great Britain in the Men's Eight against France in 2013.

He graduated from Wesleyan in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy.