| Joe Prater | |
| Birth Date: | 19 November 1922 |
| Birth Place: | St. Paul, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Player Sport1: | Baseball |
| Player Years2: | 1942 |
| Player Team2: | Sanford Spinners |
| Player Years3: | 1942 |
| Player Team3: | Olean Oilers |
| Player Years4: | 1946 |
| Player Team4: | Oshkosh Giants |
| Player Years5: | 1947 |
| Player Team5: | Chanute Athletics |
| Player Sport6: | Basketball |
| Player Years7: | 1940 |
| Player Team7: | Arkansas |
| Coach Sport1: | Football |
| Coach Years2: | 1956–1973 |
| Coach Team2: | Pueblo JC / Southern Colorado State |
Joseph Claude Prater (November 19, 1922 – August 1, 2004) was an American minor league baseball player and a college football coach.[1] He served as the head football coach at Colorado State University–Pueblo from 1956 to 1973.[2]