GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Former Tusculum College athletic department staff member Cory Pratt has been named the Pioneers' new cross country coach announced director of athletics Frankie DeBusk.

Pratt takes over the program following the three-year tenure of Suzanne Byrd, who is stepping down to begin her doctoral studies. Byrd will continue to serve on the Tusculum faculty in the College's physical education department.

Pratt brings four years professional experience within the Pioneer Athletics where he assisted with game-day management, NCAA compliance, marketing and promotions, team travel and the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"Finding someone that loves Tusculum College and the athletic department to coach our cross country teams was a priority and we found that person in Coach Pratt," said DeBusk. "Cory has been associated with our department for the last four years and he has the knowledge it will take to continue with the success of our cross country program."

The Tusculum men finished seventh at last year's South Atlantic Conference championship while the TC women posted a ninth place showing.

Rising junior David Cooper is coming off an All-Region campaign in 2012 as he won two individual titles and finished fourth or better in five of his last six meets, including a fourth-place performance at the SAC Championship. The Greeneville, Tenn. native earned All-SAC first team honors and was selected as a Capital One Academic All-American® in just his sophomore year.

On the women's side, Greeneville product Maggie Bernabei tallied a pair of top five finishes and earned a spot on the 2012 SAC All-Freshmen Team in her rookie campaign at Tusculum.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity and the future of the cross country program. We return nine runners from last year and have four newcomers who have a ton of potential to immediately impact our program," said Pratt. "These are model student-athletes. There is a solid foundation built and we are going to continue to put in the work to make Tusculum a contender in the South Atlantic Conference."

Pratt just completed his first year with the College's registrar's office as an academic records specialist, a position he will continue to serve in.

"Cory is very attentive to detail and will be able to relate extremely well with our student-athletes. I know he has a passion to be successful and I welcome him and (his wife) Olivia back to the Pioneer Family in this new role," DeBusk added.

Pratt graduated from Tusculum in May 2011 where he earned his Bachelor's degree while majoring in sport management. He earned his Master's degree from TC this past December in human resource development.

The Morristown, Tenn. native was a wide receiver on the Morristown West High School football team during his prep career.

Cory is married to the former Olivia Rhodes of Morristown and the couple resides in Mosheim, Tenn. His hobbies and activities include all sports, including running and fishing.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference. Tusculum, the oldest college in the State of Tennessee, sponsors 15 intercollegiate sports, including men's lacrosse, which will be competing in its first season during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Tusculum, the 28th oldest college in the nation, is a liberal arts institution committed to providing a liberal arts education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts environment, with pathways for career preparation, personal development and civic engagement. Approximately twenty-one hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and three off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.

- TC -