Josh Ruggles (’19)
Marketing
Warrenville, Illinois
Josh Ruggles (’19) hit the ground running, on and off the basketball court, after transferring into Loras his sophomore year. After finding his home away from home, Ruggles made an impact in the classroom but quickly realized that a traditional marketing and business job wasn’t the career that he pictured for himself. Because of his love of the game and his experience on the Loras College Men’s Basketball team, he knew he needed to incorporate basketball into his everyday life after college. Since graduating, Josh started Prosper Basketball, a training organization that has helped hundreds of athletes of all ages and skill levels push themselves to be the best version of themselves, personally and athletically, which makes him our March 2024 Duhawk Dozen recipient.
An injury during Ruggles’ sophomore season introduced him to a different side of basketball: coaching. Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Martin leveraged Ruggles’ healing time to develop him as a student coach. He wanted to keep Josh as engaged as he could because that was best for him and the team as a whole. Those months when Ruggles learned how to lead a team from Coach Martin, Gabe Miller, and Jacob Oswald also allowed his love of training to really set in. Once cleared to play again, Josh continued taking notes and building upon his skills to start his own business.
“[At Prosper Basketball,] we want to pour into our players’ love for the sport. We want them to grow their skills and knowledge, but more than anything else, we want them to grow their passion for the game.” Their philosophy is built on pushing athletes beyond their comfort zones, teaching valuable life lessons that extend far beyond the boundaries of the basketball court.
When asked about his favorite Duhawk Supporting Duhawk moment since graduating, he said he loves getting to support current Duhawks and cheering them on from around the country. “It’s great that the roles are flipped now, and we get to cheer on the current generation of Duhawks. Whether at a game, on social media, or through players that went through Prosper Basketball, we want this generation to do well, and they need our support.”
Learn more about Josh, his Loras experience, and Prosper basketball by listening to this month’s podcast.
