An offer from his native state caused Austin Thomas to reportedly turn down more money from LSU, where he received a promotion when Ed Orgeron took over last year.

While his position at Tennessee is expected to be in the personnel and operations area, his title was general manager at LSU where he was involved in recruiting and working with NFL personnel about LSU players’ transition. Thomas is expected to serve in a similar role on Jeremy Pruitt’s initial staff with at Tennessee.

Thomas made $125,000 at LSU and was offered a bigger contract, but elected to return to the school that gave him his start in college football in 2008, Andrew Lopez of NOLA.com reported.

A Nashville-area native, Thomas earned his undergrad degree at Lipscomb, and a master’s degree at Tennessee.

Thomas began his career in college football as a recruiting intern with the Vols as a recruiting intern in 2008 when Phillip Fulmer, now Tennessee’s athletic director, was the head coach and remained on Lane Kiffin’s staff as a defensive assistant alongside Orgeron.

Thomas has been at LSU for nearly five years. He joined the Tigers’ staff in April 2013 — LSU re-hired him last year after he spent three months at USC, and was on a staff that landed three top-five classes. In 2017, the Tigers plucked the No. 2- (JaCoby Stevens) and No. 4-ranked (Jacob Phillips) players in the state of Tennessee.