HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (June 23, 2026) – The University of North Alabama was awarded with two 2026 Rocket City Awards on Monday night in Huntsville, as senior left fielder Nash Rippen was named the College Athlete of the Year and head coach Jad Prachniak was named College Coach of the Year. 

The fourth Annual Rocket City Awards is presented by Woody Anderson Ford and highlights local athletes, coaches and programs from the North Alabama region. The show is hosted by ESPN 97.7 The Zone and WHNT News 19.
 
North Alabama competed with winners representing the likes of Auburn, Vanderbilt, Jacksonville State, University of Alabama-Huntsville, Alabama A&M, Kennesaw State and Samford, among others. 

Prachniak was nominated for College Coach of the Year after leading the program to its best Division I season with an 31-28 record and an appearance in the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Game.

This was the first 30-win season during the Division I era and the first ASUN Championship game appearance during that timeframe. Each season under Prachniak's tenure, the Lions have exceeded the previous season's win total in both conference and overall play. 

"It was good (getting that recognition)" said Prachniak. "It was good to get that from a team and a program perspective. It was great to go up there and get some acknowledgment for the program. From the players to the assistant coaches, administration and support staff, it is great that team got recognized. There has been a lot of growth throughout the program, I don't think there have been many schools in the country that have improved in conference play and overall record, but our group has done that. It speaks to where we were, and I felt like our guys have dug in and taken a step each year."
 
The 2026 Male College Athlete of the Year, Rippen, was perhaps one of the most improved players across the nation, let alone the ASUN this season. In 2025, Rippen hit .219 with 37 hits, 24 RBIs and eight home runs over the entire season. This year, he hit .321 with 68 hits, 57 RBIs and 18 home runs. He claimed the all-time single season home run leader after his 18th of the season against FGCU during the ASUN Tournament.

After an offseason of hard work, Rippen returned with a plate presence of patience which led him to leading the conference in walks (53) — which broke the all-time North Alabama record for walks in a season. He was named to the All-ASUN First Team and the ASUN All-Tournament Team due to his heroics in 2026. 

"It was really cool," said Rippen. "I didn't think I would for sure win, but I am extremely proud and happy for this award. This season was the most fun I had ever had on the field, an absolute blast the entire time. Coming out of junior college, the goal was to come here and win, and these guys took a chance on me. I wanted to come in and help grow the program, and I feel like we did a pretty good job of that this year."

Rippen, alongside Dylan Coleman, became the first Lion to earn first team all-conference honors during the Division I era. He was one of five players to hit double-digit home runs this season, as his 18 was the most in school history. Alongside the home runs, he broke the all-time record for games reached base safely (56) and set a new all-time season high for games played (59). He also broke the Division I records for slugging (.651) and runs scored (54).
 
"Nash was with us for two years," said Prachniak. "He gave us plenty of great moments in his first year with us, but in my years of coaching, Nash is on a short list of improvement year over year. It speaks to the work he put in and how relentless he is. It's really good to get acknowledged for the work he put in."

The Lions completed the season with a trip to the ASUN Championship game after a dominant postseason run as the fourth overall seed. North Alabama defeated the No. 1 seeded North Florida team, No. 3 FGCU in an elimination game and No. 5 Jacksonville en route to their first championship game appearance. 
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.