BIG RAPIDS — A new era will begin for the Ferris State University men’s basketball program as one of NCAA Division II’s winningest coaches in recent history.
According to a May 14 news release from the university, Bobby Pietrack, has been tabbed as the school’s 14th men’s basketball head coach and tasked with carrying on a strong Bulldog tradition.
A veteran collegiate coach, Pietrack most recently served as the head coach at fellow NCAA Division II power Fort Lewis College in Colorado from 2015-24, leading the Skyhawks to three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Regular-Season Championships, three RMAC Tournament titles, five NCAA D2 Tournament appearances and an average of nearly 23 wins per season.
During his time as the head coach at Fort Lewis, Pietrack posted a 189-75 overall record with a 72% winning percentage and ranked among the top 10 D2 head coaches.
An introductory press conference, which will be open to the media and public, will be held in the near future and be announced soon.
Pietrack takes over for former Bulldog head coach Andy Bronkema, who recently accepted the head coaching position at NCAA Division I Central Michigan following 12 seasons leading FSU.
“We had outstanding interest in this position due to the success we’ve had and Bobby brings impressive credentials with a strong record of success at the Division II level to continue on that elite path,” said FSU Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank. “There is a long and storied tradition of Bulldog Basketball and we believe he is the right fit to build upon that legacy.”
Known for his strategic game planning, championship mindset and building a family-like culture, Pietrack elevated Fort Lewis to national prominence in his nine seasons as the program’s head coach. His leadership resulted in several record-breaking performances, multiple conference championships and a legacy establishing the program as a national contender in D2 basketball.
“I’m deeply grateful to President Pink, Athletic Director Steve Brockelbank and the entire hiring committee for giving me this incredible opportunity,” said Pietrack. “From the moment I stepped on campus, I felt the passion, pride and tradition that make Ferris State so special. This is a place where basketball matters, winning matters, and most importantly the people matter.
“I’m excited to pour my heart into this program, pack Wink Arena and become a proud member of the Big Rapids community and the Ferris State family. Go Bulldogs,” he added.
Pietrack boasts the fifth-best all-time career winning percentage in RMAC history and guided his squad to a 106-26 home record in Durango, Colo. He became the fastest coach in NCAA history to win 50 home games and the fastest in NCAA D2 history to 50 overall wins, doing so in only 57 games. He also was the quickest in RMAC conference history to 50 league victories and the fastest coach in Fort Lewis history to win 100 games.
Pietrack’s final team in 2023-24 ranked among the nation’s top five squads with a 29-4 overall record, capturing the RMAC Tournament Championship for the second consecutive year and reaching the South Central Regional Semifinals. His 2022-23 squad also went 29-4 and won both the RMAC Regular Season and Tournament crowns while finishing seventh in the nation. His final two teams both set a school record for most wins in a season. The 58-8 combined record from 2022-24 was the nation’s second-best overall mark in the period.
While at Fort Lewis, Pietrack led his squad to 19 wins or more six times, including five times with 24 or more victories. His first team in 2015-16 went 28-4 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament while winning both league regular-season and tournament titles. The following year, in 2016-17, FLC posted a 26-7 mark and advanced to round two of the NCAA Tourney before going on win the RMAC Regular-Season title and reach the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row with a 24-7 record in 2017-18.
Along with his many other accomplishments, Pietrack was honored as the 2024 Red Auerbach National Collegiate Coach of the Year and was a two-time South Central Region Coach of the Year winner and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Coach of the Year finalist in both 2016 and 2023. He also claimed the RMAC Coach of the Year honor in 2016 and was a six-time HoopDirt.com National D2 Coach of the Week.
During his time at Fort Lewis, Pietrack’s teams were ranked in the NABC Top 25 poll 70 times, including 31 consecutive weeks from 2022-24. The Skyhawks climbed to as high as second in the nation in 2024 and finished the 2015-16 season ranked number four nationally. Five of his teams concluded the year ranked among the nation’s top 25 in the final poll. His teams also posted the best record in the South Central Region three times in his career and five times reached the RMAC Tournament Championship Game.
Along with his success on the court, Pietrack’s teams at Fort Lewis also captured the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award six times and he graduated nearly 90% of his players at the Western Colorado institution.
His overall team grade point average was above a 3.0 and 27 student-athletes garnered RMAC All-Academic accolades in his tenure. His squad’s were also active in the community, hosting events such as an elementary reading program and free Sunday clinics.
Prior to his tenure as head coach, Pietrack served as Fort Lewis’ associate head coach from 2004-15, helping the program win 70% of its contests with both two RMAC regular-season and tournament titles. Overall, Fort Lewis made a total of 11 NCAA Tournament berths and won 10 combined RMAC Regular Season and Tournament titles during his time as both the associate head coach and head coach.
Pietrack played collegiately for the Skyhawks and earned a bachelor of arts degree in exercise science from Fort Lewis in 2004, along with a master’s degree in human performance from Fort Hays State (Kan.). He and his family plan to relocate to West Michigan.
The Ferris State men’s basketball program has a long track record of success that includes more than 1,300 all-time victories, 17 GLIAC Championships and 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, along with a national championship in 2018.
Since 2004, the Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen five times and won 13 GLIAC regular season or tourney titles. FSU reached the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in the last 11 years this past season and won 20 games or more for the 10th-straight full season.