IOWA CITY, Iowa — Trena Prater has been elevated to the position of associate head coach for the University of Iowa softball program, head coach Renee Gillispie announced Thursday. Prater is in her fourth season on Gillispie’s staff.
In 2021, Prater helped lead the Hawkeyes to their highest finish in regular season conference play since 2012. Freshman Denali Loecker was named second-team All-Big Ten. Loecker and Brylee Klosterman were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
In the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Iowa was ranked third in the Big Ten in batting (.283) and Freshman Nia Carter led the conference in batting average (.509).
Prater joined the Hawkeyes on July 3, 2018, after working under Gillispie during the 2018 season at UCF.
Prior to UCF, Prater spent four years as head coach at the University of Buffalo where she claimed the MAC East Division title in 2014. She also headed the Pirates at Hampton University, where she assumed both a 2013 MEAC regular season and tournament title.
As an assistant coach, Prater had stints at George Washington, Maryland and Mississippi Valley State.
Prater also spent seven seasons in National Pro Fastpitch, playing for the Akron Racers, New York Juggernauts, Chicago Bandits and Philadelphia Force.
In college, Prater, formally known as Peel, played at LSU and was a 2002 Easton first-team All-American, 2002 NFCA second team All-American and 2002 SEC Softball Player of the Year. She is a three-time All-SEC honoree and set the school record with 27 triples, which ranks in the top 20 in NCAA history.
