Jeremy Pruitt comments on Tennessee’s hire of running backs coach Jay Graham
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For the second consecutive offseason, Jeremy Pruitt had an opening on his Tennessee coaching staff that he managed to fill by luring an assistant away from an SEC program.
After landing offensive coordinator Jim Chaney away from Georgia this time last year, Tennessee has officially done the same with former Texas A&M running backs coach Jay Graham, the school announced on Thursday. Graham previously worked on Rocky Top back in 2012, ironically enough, serving as running backs coach under Chaney.
“I’m excited to welcome Jay Graham back to Tennessee,” Pruitt said in a released statement. “He is one of the best assistant coaches in the country, and his track record for developing running backs speaks for itself, as you can see several of the young men he has coached playing on Sundays. He’s the total package as a coach with his experience playing in the NFL and his years coaching in the SEC and ACC. He has tremendous work ethic and an impressive ability to connect with young people.
“I was impressed by Jay from the start of our time working together and winning a national championship in 2013. He’s one of the best running backs ever to play at Tennessee, which I saw firsthand in the mid-90s. I’m thrilled to be working alongside him again and bringing him back to Rocky Top.”
Pruitt’s comments on Graham’s track record coaching up running backs is more than lip service. Check out these rushing numbers posted by Graham’s running backs in recent seasons:
- Texas A&M freshman Isaiah Spiller rushed for 946 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2019
- Texas A&M junior Trayveon Williams rushed for 1,760 yards* and 18 touchdowns in 2018 *Williams led the SEC in rushing
- Florida State freshman Cam Akers rushed for 1,025 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2017
- Florida State’s Dalvin Cook rushed for 4,464 yards and 46 touchdowns combined during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons
- South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore for 2,015 yards and 27 touchdowns combined during his freshman and sophomore seasons
Graham, a native of North Carolina, played for current Tennessee AD Phillip Fulmer on Rocky Top from 1993 until 1996. In his four seasons on the field for the Vols, Graham rushed for 2,609 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Big Orange before moving on to the NFL after being selected in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
The numbers speak for themselves. #PoweredByTheT pic.twitter.com/i7l7NNu28n
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) January 30, 2020
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
