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Honoring Coach Alan Pritchard ’60

We are saddened to hear about the passing of Coach Alan Pritchard. He was a beloved Harding Academy teacher, coach, and athletic director for over forty years and was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013. We want to honor his memory by sharing the words from his 2006 Shield Salute and 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame induction. 

2006 Shield Salute:

Mr. Alan Pritchard, a graduate of the Harding Academy class of 1960, has been associated with Harding for close to half a century—a tenure few can rival. As an athlete, coach, and athletic director, Mr. Pritchard has been indispensably involved with numerous Harding athletic programs, firmly ensconcing him as a fixture here at Harding Academy. His prowess as the head coach of the softball team continues to foster great success. He is responsible for much of the history and geography knowledge of the thousands of students that have come through his classroom along the years. Known for his timeless anecdotes, adoration of Pepsi Cola, and recently his enthusiasm for the Memphis Grizzlies, Mr. Pritchard has undoubtably moseyed his way into the hearts of all students fortunate enough to have been under his watch. Since 1960, technology, regimes, and fads have undergone many transformations; however, Mr. Pritchard is hardly likely to go out of style.

2022 Athletics Hall of Fame induction:

A Harding Academy Lion since the inception of the school, Coach Pritchard had a reputation for pouring into the school that was always a part of his life. As a basketball coach in the 1970s, Alan was the coach for several of the athletes inducted on this list, and therefore some of the most successful teams in Harding history. But Alan gave back to Harding in any way he could, teaching history, Pepsi in hand, for over forty years. He also coached Harding’s softball team for many years, including their most successful seasons from 1995-1998 with four straight state tournament appearances. You could still catch him out on the softball field last year, watching his granddaughter play for the Lady Lions.