Vols come to Jeremy Pruitt’s defense after criticism at SEC Media Days
By Dave Hooker
Published:
ATLANTA — A day after getting heavily criticized by a player who once was on his team, Jeremy Pruitt’s players shared different reviews on his personality.
“A man of few words,” Tennessee tight end Eli Wolf said during SEC Media Days on Wednesday. “He expects us to hold each other accountable and that’s starting to form. The players are holding each other accountable. It’s kind of a player-led team.”
Receiver Marquez Callaway acknowledged a significant change with Pruitt, who replaced the often loquacious Butch Jones after he was fired following last season.
“Coach Pruitt has a different personality,” Callaway said. “I think that’s good. We need different. … It’s kind of different than coach Jones. Coach Jones was a fun guy. He likes to talk a lot. Coach Pruitt, not really. That kind of goes into football as well. He says what he needs to say and we listen.”
Later, Callaway was asked if he could share a funny story or two involving Pruitt. He smiled and said he could not, reiterating how Pruitt’s demeanor is more serious.
Defensive end Kyle Phillips offered a different perspective.
“He’s a fun guy,” the senior said. “Definitely a guy you want to be around. Before he came here, I heard a lot from former players that played under him, so many compliments about him about how he cares about his players and wants them to be successful on the field and off the field. It’s really just been a blessing.”
“Coach Pruitt has a different personality. I think that’s good. We need different.”
— Vols receiver Marquez Callaway
UT’s players were put in position to answer questions about Pruitt’s personality after some strong comments by CBS Sports analyst Aaron Murray. Pruitt and Murray were on the same team in 2014 at Georgia while Murray was the quarterback and Pruitt was the defensive coordinator.
“I don’t know if his personality is fit to be a head coach,” Murray said on 102.5 The Game. “As a head coach, there’s so many things that go into it. It’s not just going out there and coaching. You have to deal with front office. You’ve got to go talk with the president of the university. You have to deal with boosters. You have to deal with the offense, the defense. It’s not just going in there and dealing with the kids and scheming up. There’s a lot that goes into it … I don’t think he’s the right guy to kind of be the CEO of a corporation.”
RELATED: David Pollack also says Pruitt was disrespectful to Mark Richt
Only time will tell if Pruitt, who is a first-time head coach, can master the “CEO” aspect of heading a program. With few media appearances and little access to practice, there are plenty of questions surrounding the Vols heading into this season that have nothing to do with Pruitt’s personality. First, what kind of offense will UT run after struggling in a spread, zone-read attack under Jones last season?
“It’s been different,” Callaway said. “(It’s) a west coast style of offense so we’re trying to just learn this offense to perfection and really trying to perfect our craft in the offense so there won’t be any mistakes in the season.”
Callaway said the Vols have had to essentially “start from scratch” as they rebuild their offense. Wolf said the Vols will rely on being physical no matter what formation they line up in.
“Tough. Discipline. Hardworking,” he said when asked about UT’s offensive style. “When you play Tennessee, we’re trying to get to the point where after the game you say, ‘I don’t want to play them again.’
“We’re a multi-dimensional offense. I feel like we can do just about a little bit of anything. It will be exciting to see this fall how much more we can do with it as opposed to the spring. I think we can do alot with our offense. … Power football is important. Adding a fullback is going to help our run game.”
Callaway seemed to express some uncertainty in the direction of UT’s offense.
“We’re probably going to try to mix it up alot,” he said. “We really don’t know yet. We’re really just trying to go out there and do what we can and have faith in coach calling the right play at the right time.”
UT’s players’ comments were a strong reminder that the Vols are undergoing a monstrous transition. Pruitt brings a new coaching style, a new offense and a 3-4 defense that will replace what the Vols formerly ran, a 4-2-5 style. Callaway is certain that Pruitt will be able to lead the way and get his point across. He’s already proven he can do that.
“All the time,” Callaway said when asked if the stoic Pruitt has shown he can speak up. “All the time.”
Dave Hooker started covering Tennessee in 1998. He hosts an SEC radio show out of Chattanooga and covers the SEC for Saturday Down South.
