One day after leaving Williston, Robby Pruitt is coming home.
Union County football announced the return of the legendary coach to the school in a press release on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Pruitt arrived in Lake Butler in 1993 after a storied nine seasons at University Christian in Jacksonville, where he won four state titles in 1987 and 1989-1991.
He continued that remarkable run as Fightin’ Tigers coach with state crowns in 1994, 1995 and 1996 – when he complied a remarkable 52 game win streak. He left in 1999 to move to Fitzgerald in Georgia with a 79-10 record at UCHS.
The FHSAA Hall of Famer won 209 games in the Peach State at Fitzgerald, Warner Robbins and Coffee. In 2022, he experienced his first Homecoming – coming back to the Gainesville-area to coach Williston. He revitalized a Red Devils program without a playoff win since 2012.
Pruitt had undefeated regular seasons in 2022 and 2023 and reached the Rural state semifinals in 2024, but he failed to dethrone Hawthorne and win a state championship.
“Coach Robby Pruitt’s career reflects a commitment to hard work, excellence, and the development of both players and coaches. These values have defined his success at every stop along his Hall of Fame career,” the press release states.
In 2024, Pruitt reached 400 wins. In late September, he became the first coach in high school football history win 200 games in two states – doing so in Florida and Georgia.
He enters a Union County program in transition. Prior to last season, the Fightin’ Tigers were a Rural powerhouse led by former Trenton state championship-winning coach Andrew Thomas. Last May, though, Thomas was fired by the school district. In protest, most of his assistants resigned.
The UCHS program was forced to adjust on the fly, and under Lamar Walters, withered away in a 3-7 season and the transfer of All-Area running back Drew Simmons to Columbia.
Following the end of this season, the Fightin’ Tigers joined a chorus of other local Rural schools to join the Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA). This included Branford and Dixie County – which hired Thomas to return to his alma mater.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Homecoming official for Robby Pruitt as he’s tabbed as Union County football’s new coach
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
