Fort Lewis College Athletics

Pietrack stepped away from the program in the spring of 2024 and left with a career record of 189-75 (.716) with a 131-60 (.686) mark through Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play: both currently stand as the highest winning percentages in program history. 

Fort Lewis faced an unprecedented challenge in 2023-24 with the departure of all five starters from its 2022-23 championship lineup while returning only five from the previous season; only three of which saw significant time on the floor. Pietrack's staff instead looked to the transfer portal and brought in seven high-caliber transfers from the junior college, Division II, and Power-Five NCAA Division I levels while also signing four incoming freshmen. The Skyhawks then marched on to do what few thought possible including a program-record No. 2 national ranking by the NABC, ten weeks in the NABC Top 10, six weeks inside the NABC Top 5, a second-place finish in the RMAC regular-season standings with a program-record 20-2 conference record, downed back-to-back NABC Top 25 and Top 5 opponents to capture the 2024 RMAC Tournament Championship, repeated as the No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament in the South-Central Region, and made its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. 

Pietrack's squads over the past two seasons have ignited a fire in the Durango community. Over the past two years, Fort Lewis has posted a 58-8 overall record - the second-best in all of NCAA Division II - while also winning three conference titles (two tournaments, one regular season), spending 31 consecutive weeks in the NABC Top 25 Poll, and making back-to-back appearances in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The team's success is not without community support, however, as Fort Lewis hosted 32,178 total fans this season to finish third in total attendance, first in percent capacity (73.13%), and fourth in average attendance (2,011) across all of NCAA Division II. 

Four Skyhawks were honored with all-conference honors after the season including Obi Agbim, First-Team All-RMAC; Malik Whitaker, First-Team All-RMAC; Junior Garbrah, Second-Team All-RMAC; and Brayden Carter, Second-Team All-RMAC. In addition, Fort Lewis occupied four RMAC Player of the Week awards throughout the season including two Defensive Player of the Week honors for Carter and an Offensive Player of the Week nod for both Garbrah and Agbim. Following the 2024 RMAC Tournament, Agbim was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player while Carter, Isaiah Thompson, and Amondo Miller Jr. were each tabbed with All-Tournament Team honors. Agbim's success doesn't end there, however, as Pietrack guided the junior to a pair of D2CCA Second-Team and NABC First-Team All-South Central Region honors while also picking up a spot on the South-Central Regional All-Tournament Team. 

In his eighth season at the helm, Fort Lewis established a program record with a 29-4 overall record and a 19-3 mark in conference play. The team capturing a share of the RMAC regular-season title and went on to win the RMAC Tournament. The accomplishments marked the third time in program history the Skyhawks won at least a share of the regular-season title and tournament title and the second in Pietrack's career. The Skyhawks earned the No. 2 seed in the South-Central Region and topped Lubbock Christian (97-65) in the opening round before falling to Black Hills State to close out the season. Fort Lewis enjoyed 14-straight weeks in the NABC Top-25 Poll, 13 weeks in the D2 College Sports Communicators Media Top-25 Poll, and ended the historic campaign ranked No. 7 by NABC and No. 5 by D2CSC. Pietrack was named the NABC South-Central Region Coach of the Year for his efforts. Additionally, Fort Lewis ranked 5th in average attendance across all of NCAA Division II.

The Skyhawks established program records with a 10-1 road record and 10-straight wins to start the season while boasting a 5-3 record against NABC Top-25 ranked opponents. The team earned the program's first win over a Top-10 ranked or better opponent on the road with a 93-87 win at #5/6 Colorado School of Mines back on January 27. Five players were named as All-RMAC selections in Akuel Kot (First Team), JaQuaylon Mays (First Team), Brenden Boatwright (Second Team), Scottie Stafford (Honorable Mention), and Obi Agbim (Honorable Mention). Additionally, Kot advanced to earn D2CCA First Team All-Region and NABC First Team All-District Honors before becoming the program's first-ever two-time All-American (Second Team, D2CCA and First Team, NABC). Kot made the Small College Basketball Bevo "Francis" Award Top-25 Watch List, an award given annually to the player considered to have the finest season among all of NCAA Division III, II, NAIA, USCAA Divison I, II, and NCCAA Division I and II. The Skyhawks had seven RMAC Player's of the Week throughout the season.

In 2021-22, Pietrack led the Skyhawks to 19-9 overall and 15-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record to finish third in the league in 2022. The Skyhawks enjoyed an eight-game winning streak that spanned from February 5-24 and vaulted the team into position to host an RMAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup inside of Whalen Gymnasium. Fort Lewis ended the season ranked first in the conference in points per game (84.0) and three-point field goal percentage (.389) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.486) and free throw percentage (.771). Fort Lewis collected eighth-straight road wins in the 2021-22 campaign to set a new program and RMAC record. 

Riley Farris was named First Team All-RMAC at the conclusion of the year, the third honor of his career. Additionally, Farris was recognized as a Second Team D2CCA All-South Central Region team member. Joining Farris on the First Team All-RMAC was Akuel Kot, his first such honor while Brenden Boatwright was named to the Honorable Mention team. 
 
Pietrack has garnered national praise, landing on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 Coaches polls on three separate occasions: 2016-#4, 2017-#23, 2018-#25. In addition to his national spotlight, Pietrack was both the fastest coach in Fort Lewis history to 100 career wins (135 games), and the fastest coach in NCAA Division II to 50 career wins (57 games). Under his guidance Fort Lewis has spent 40 weeks ranked on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 polls from 2015-16 to 2017-2018.

In February of 2017, he became the fastest NCAA Division II coach to earn 50 wins (52 Games). In 2018, he became the fastest coach in RMAC history to 50 league wins (59 games). Pietrack earned his 100th career win during the 2019-2020 season, guiding the Skyhawks to a 77-73 victory against South Dakota School of Mines on Dec. 13, 2019.
 
While at Fort Lewis, Pietrack has led the Skyhawks to shattering several school records including the highest finish on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 poll at No. 4 in 2015-16, 30 straight home winning streak from 2015-2016 to 2016-2017, and 22 straight RMAC conference wins in 2016-17. In addition to his record-breaking success, Pietrack has led Fort Lewis to NCAA National Tournment wins over Dallas Baptist and Tarleton State alongside a huge win for the program over NCAA Division I University of Wyoming in 2015.

In his first year as Head Coach, Pietrack led his team to a school-high 28 wins and was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and South-Central Region Coach of the Year. He was only the second coach in RMAC history to earn the honor as a first-year Head Coach. In his first three seasons at the helm of the Skyhawks, Pietrack as posted an 82% winning percentage (80-18) and led Fort Lewis to two RMAC conference titles (2016, 2018), three-straight RMAC Conference Tournament Finals (2016-18), an RMAC Conference Tournament Championship title (2016), and three straight trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament (2016-2018). In Pietrack’s first two trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament the Skyhawks reached the South-Central Regional Final Four each time.
 
Pietrack and the Skyhawks have finished top three or better in the RMAC in five separate seasons, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023. 

Pietrack was rewarded for his breakout season, being named the 2015-16 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and becoming only the second coach in league history to win the award in his first year as head coach.

Pietrack was also named the 2015-16 NABC South Central Region Coach of the Year after leading his team to the RMAC regular season and tournament championship titles. The Skyhawks set school records for most wins in a season (28-4), most RMAC wins (19-3), most consecutive wins (16) and most wins at home (17-0). He was named a finalist for the Red Auerbach National Coach of the Year and NABC Division II Coach of the Year awards. Additionally, Pietrack was named a finalist for the Red Auerbach National Coach of the Year in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

FLC qualified for the 2016 NCAA South Central Regional tournament as the No. 2 seed.  After being nationally ranked in the NABC poll for 11 straight weeks (school record five straight weeks in the Top 10), the Skyhawks finished the season ranked No. 4 in the final NABC poll, the highest ranking in school history.

Pietrack and the Skyhawks repeated their appearance in 2016-17 in the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament, advancing to the second round. It marked the first time in program history the Skyhawks advanced to the NCAA Second Round in back-to-back years. FLC recorded the second most wins in school history after finishing the season with a 26-7 overall record (18-4 RMAC), while setting a new school record for consecutive home wins. FLC's 28 wins in 2015-16 and 26 wins in 2016-17 are the first time FLC has had back-to-back 25-win seasons.

Senior guard Joshua Blaylock was named the RMAC Player of the Year and became the first FLC player to earn NABC All-American honors.  Blaylock was chosen to play in the NABC Senior All-Star game, held during the Elite Eight Tournament.  Freshman Riley Farris was voted the RMAC Freshman of the Year.

Pietrack was named Interim Head Coach in June 2015, beginning his 12th season in 2016-17 as part of the Skyhawks coaching staff.  He served under men’s basketball head coach Bob Hofman for 11 years. He was promoted to associate head coach after completing his 100th game with the program in January 2008.  Pietrack originally joined the Skyhawks coaching staff in the summer of 2004.

During his entire coaching tenure at Fort Lewis, Pietrack has helped the Skyhawks to four straight RMAC West Division Championships (2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08), eight berths into the NCAA Division II tournament (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2022), four RMAC Shootout/Tournament championships (2008, 2011, 2016, 2022), five RMAC regular season titles (2004-05, 2007-08, 2015-16, 2017-2018, 2022-23), and the program's first NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen appearance in school history during the 2011-12 season.

Pietrack is responsible for the program’s recruiting, scouting, scheduling, academic counseling, strength training, and individual player development, in addition to on-the-floor coaching and assisting in the day-to-day basketball operations. Pietrack also serves as the director of the Skyhawks’ summer basketball camps. He has been a Hoopdirt.com Division II National Coach of the Year Finalist on four occasions (2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2021-22).

Prior to his coaching career Pietrack played four years for the Skyhawks under Hofman. Pietrack was a member of two RMAC West Division championship teams (2001-02, 2002-03) and played in two NCAA tournaments (2001-02, 2002-03). A two-time RMAC All-Academic honoree, Pietrack was a team captain and team MVP in 2003-04.

A 1999 graduate of Eagle Valley High School in Eagle, Colo., Pietrack was a four-year starter at point guard for the Devils. He earned all-state honors twice and all-conference accolades three times in basketball. He holds the Colorado 3A record for career assists (702) and led the state in assists three seasons. He also earned all-state honors four times as a first baseman in baseball and was a two-time all-state performer at quarterback in football.

Pietrack graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. He completed his master’s degree in health and human performance from Fort Hays State University in 2008.

Pietrack resides in Durango with his two daughters, Ella and Grace.