Rich Pruett's career spans academics and athletics, starting in football as an assistant and quality control coach for the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League, then at Georgia State University's first football program. Transitioning to strength and conditioning, he became the Director of Sports Performance at the University of North Georgia (UNG) from 2012 to 2023, managing athletic development for 13 NCAA teams.
He worked with diverse groups, including collegiate athletes and military personnel. After earning a master's in exercise science from UNG in 2015, Pruett taught as an adjunct professor in the kinesiology department, developing courses in strength and conditioning. He completed a doctorate in leadership and higher education at UNG in 2022, focusing on cultural capital skills in athletics and healthcare.
In February 2023, Pruett joined Exos as the Director of Performance in Phoenix, Arizona, where he leads a team of practitioners and focuses on performance coaching.