Kloppenburg-Pruitt Leaves SOU for Alma Mater

College Sports

Jun 29

After a five-year run that included a 134-31 record, three CCC tournament titles and national Coach of the Year honors, the Raiders’ head coach is headed to Point Loma Nazarene.

by SOU Sports Information

ASHLAND – Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt has resigned after a glowing five-year run as Southern Oregon University's head women's basketball coach to take over at her alma mater, Director of Athletics Matt Sayre announced on Monday.

Kloppenburg-Pruitt, who posted a 134-31 record and was a three-time Cascade Conference Coach of the Year with the Raiders, will be the new head coach at Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.), where she played from 2012-14.

"Coach CK is a phenomenal coach and a great person. Our women's basketball program accomplished great things under her leadership," Sayre said. "She came into her own at SOU during her first stint as a head coach, putting a solid team culture at the center of her efforts. It showed every time the Raiders took the court with their hustle, defensive pressure, and support of each other. We are thankful for her time here, and wish her nothing but success at Point Loma."

Since Sayre hired Kloppenburg-Pruitt in 2021, the Raiders have not missed an NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament. In her debut season, they were picked to finish fifth in the conference and went on to win their first of three CCC Tournament championships under Kloppenburg-Pruitt. They also won back-to-back regular season titles in 2023-24 and 2024-25 and compiled a 92-16 cumulative conference record during her tenure.

The 2024-25 campaign was particularly memorable. SOU stayed unbeaten longer than any team at any level in the country, winning its first 34 games and ascending to No. 2 in the NAIA rankings on the way to an appearance in the national quarterfinals. Following the season, Kloppenburg-Pruitt was voted the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's NAIA Coach of the Year. Hers was the first team in conference history to enter the playoffs undefeated.

The Raiders won at least one national tournament game in each of her first four seasons. Among all NAIA teams, they were top-15 in points allowed per game every year and top-seven in terms of defensive rating in three of those.

"I am extremely grateful to Matt Sayre for giving me the incredible opportunity to lead SOU, and to the entire administration for their guidance and friendship over the past five years," Kloppenburg-Pruitt said. "The people here are what make being a Raider so special. I will miss the school, the community, and most importantly, the phenomenal women I've had the pleasure to coach.

"I am forever grateful for each player who poured their heart and sweat into this program. I am so proud of what we built here and cannot wait to see the program continue to flourish."

Kloppenburg-Pruitt's teams excelled off the court, too. They attained NAIA Scholar Team status every year and ranked as high as No. 9 on the WBCA's Academic Honor Roll.

She'd never been a head coach before arriving in Ashland, having served for three years as an assistant at San José State University in her previous stop. She'll take over a Point Loma team that has reached the NCAA Division II West Regionals three years in a row.

An immediate search for her replacement has begun. The Raiders went 19-11 in 2025-26 and only graduated three seniors.

Cover image: Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt celebrates during one of the defining moments of her SOU tenure. She departs Ashland after five seasons, a 134-31 record, multiple Cascade Conference titles and national Coach of the Year honors. (Al Case, Ashland Daily Photo / supplied by SOU Sports Information)