Georgia DC Jeremy Pruitt could follow Mark Richt out of town
By John Hollis
Published:
We know coach Mark Richt’s days in Athens are numbered, but it remains to be seen whether defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt follows him out of town.
School officials announced Monday that Richt’s 15-year tenure as the Bulldogs coach will end after Georgia’s bowl game. No decision has been made on Pruitt’s future, although players have begun lobbying for his return.
The decision to retain the highly successful defensive coordinator ultimately will be up to athletics director Greg McGarity and the new coach the school hires to succeed Richt.
But that hasn’t stopped some players from taking their case for keeping Pruitt to social media.
#KeepPruitt frfr
— Tim Kimbrough Jr. (@TimKTheRace) November 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/TK42_GTL/status/671337580261150720
That there even needs to be a decision may speak volumes to the many strained personal relationships Pruitt has within the athletic department. The Dawgs concluded the regular season ranked 10th nationally in scoring defense (16.9 points), first in passing defense (146.1 yards per game) and eighth in total defense (298.0 ypg.).
All that despite playing so many young players. Pruitt, who also coaches the defensive backs, is also considered an excellent recruiter.
This past weekend, the Georgia defense limited rival Georgia Tech to a season-low seven points after managing just 276 yards of total offense and going 2-for-13 on third downs.
It was the latest in a string of exemplary defensive performances overseen by Pruitt, who was the defensive coordinator for the 2013 Florida State team that won the national championship.
But rumors persisted that Pruitt didn’t exactly get along with others on the staff, including Richt and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Pruitt probably didn’t exactly endear himself to McGarity or other school officials when he went public last year with complaints about a lack of an indoor facility.
In perhaps a telling signal, McGarity had a chance to clarify Pruitt’s future during Monday’s press conference, but deflected the question instead.
But simply letting him go won’t be so easy as Pruitt has a year left on a three-year contract that pays him more than a million per. The school is already on the hook for a more than $4 million for Richt’s buyout, so adding a million more for Pruitt as well hurts financially.
The timing is also particularly bad with National Signing Day coming soon and potential recruits weighing their decisions. Any decision to part ways with Pruitt could send some of those players considering Georgia to other schools.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
