Henry Lee Prather
Biographical details
Born(1886-10-10)October 10, 1886
near Odessa, Missouri, U.S.
DiedSeptember 23, 1964(1964-09-23) (aged 77)
Newellton, Louisiana, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1912Southwestern Louisiana Industrial
1913–1933Louisiana Normal
Basketball
1912–1950Louisiana Normal / Northwestern State
Head coaching record
Overall83–45–15 (football)
473–169 (basketball)

Henry Lee Prather (October 10, 1886 – September 23, 1964) was an American football and basketball coach. He served as the head football coach at the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute for one season in 1912, compiling a record of 3–4. He is best known, however, for his tenures as the head football and men's basketball coach at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Prather coached the Demons' football team between 1913 and 1917, and again from 1919 through 1933. The 1918 season was canceled because of World War I. In 20 seasons as coach at NSU, Prather compiled an overall record of 80–55–15. Including his one season at SLII, his overall football record was 83–45–15.

As the head basketball coach at NSU, Prather's tenure was very interrupted. He was the on-again, off-again coach seven different times. Basketball had not quite become as established as a sport as football in the United States, so he alternated many of the years with having no program at all. In his 35 total years as the school's coach, Prather accumulated an overall record of 473–169. He stepped down in 1950 to become Northwestern State University's president in 1951. He is still the all-time leader in victories for men's basketball by more than 300 wins to the second-closest coach, Red Thomas, who compiled 138 between 1950 and 1957.

Northwestern State's basketball arena, Prather Coliseum, is named in his honor.

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Southwestern Louisiana Industrial (Independent) (1912)
1912 Southwestern Louisiana Industrial 3–4
Southwestern Louisiana Industrial: 3–4
Louisiana Normal Demons (Independent) (1913–1927)
1913 Louisiana Normal 1–1–3
1914 Louisiana Normal 4–1–1
1915 Louisiana Normal 4–2
1916 Louisiana Normal 2–3
1917 Louisiana Normal 3–1
1918 No team—World War I
1919 Louisiana Normal 3–1
1920 Louisiana Normal 5–1–1
1921 Louisiana Normal 3–3–1
1922 Louisiana Normal 4–2–1
1923 Louisiana Normal 3–6
1924 Louisiana Normal 4–2–1
1925 Louisiana Normal 5–3–1
1926 Louisiana Normal 3–5–1
1927 Louisiana Normal 2–3–2
Louisiana Normal Demons (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1928–1933)
1928 Louisiana Normal 5–41–3T–24th
1929 Louisiana Normal 4–2–31–0–2T–6th
1930 Louisiana Normal 7–24–1T–7th
1931 Louisiana Normal 5–42–4T–19th
1932 Louisiana Normal 7–14–1T–7th
1933 Louisiana Normal 6–32–3T–17th
Louisiana Normal: 80–50–1514–12–2
Total:83–45–15

Basketball

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Northwestern State Demons (Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1912–1948)
1912–13 Northwestern State 3–0
1913–14 Northwestern State Records unavailable
1914–15 Northwestern State 5–2
1915–16 Northwestern State 3–1
1916–17 Northwestern State 14–1
1917–18 No team—World War I
1918–19 Northwestern State 10–1
1919–20 Northwestern State Records unavailable
1920–21 Northwestern State 10–3
1921–22 Northwestern State 10–51st
1922–23 Northwestern State 8–7
1923–24 Northwestern State Records unavailable
1924–25 Northwestern State 10–5
1925–26 Northwestern State 13–1
1926–27 Northwestern State 20–2
1927–28 Northwestern State 11–2
1928–29 Northwestern State 16–6
1929–30 Northwestern State 8–11
1930–31 Northwestern State 17–6
1931–32 Northwestern State 15–1
1932–33 Northwestern State 12–7
1933–34 Northwestern State 12–10
1934–35 Northwestern State 8–6
1935–36 Northwestern State 12–6
1936–37 Northwestern State 15–7
1937–38 Northwestern State Records unavailable
1938–39 Northwestern State 16–4
1939–40 Northwestern State 19–21st
1940–41 Northwestern State 17–2
1941–42 Northwestern State 5–11
1942–43 Northwestern State 13–11
1943–44 No team—World War II
1944–45 No team—World War II
1945–46 Northwestern State 18–9
1946–47 Northwestern State 15–5
1947–48 Northwestern State 19–6
Northwestern State Demons (Gulf States Conference) (1948–1950)
1948–49 Northwestern State 23–51stNAIA Semifinals
1949–50 Northwestern State 18–8
Total:473–169

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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