5 reasons Vols fans should be thrilled with Jeremy Pruitt
KNOXVILLE — Tennessee’s search has finally ended with Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt reportedly accepting the reins from newly appointed athletics director Phillip Fulmer to be the 24th head coach in school history.
At long last, the mother of all coaching searches is over. Tennessee has finalized the deal with Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, and the Vols plan to introduce the 43-year-old Pruitt as head coach Thursday evening at a press conference, sources tell ESPN.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) December 7, 2017
This is Pruitt’s first head-coaching job, but he learned from some of the best in the business. Pruitt has coached under Jimbo Fisher, winning the 2013 national championship at FSU, under Nick Saban, winning three national championships at Alabama, and two seasons under Mark Richt at Georgia.
The new Tennessee head coach also coached as a high school assistant under Rush Propst at Hoover High School during their MTV Two-A-Days televised run, winning two state championships in three seasons.
What will Pruitt bring to the table as head coach on Rocky Top?
A solid recruiter
Pruitt relates to players and gets the best out of them when they arrive on campus. Here a few players that the new Tennessee head coach has been able to recruit and close the deal on signing day.
Chris Black, Lorenzo Carter, Derrick Henry, Nigel Knott, Alex Leatherwood, Rico McGraw, Xavier McKinney, C.J. Mosley, Dylan Moses, D.J. Pettway, Reggie Ragland, LaBryan Ray, Roquan Smith, Alphonse Taylor, Matthew Thomas, DeMarcus Walker, Eddie Williams, Mack Wilson, T.J. Yeldon.
That’s a star-studded list at multiple schools.
Pruitt will have his first audition to make a statement with recruits as five recruits will take official visits this weekend, including Paxton Brooks, Brandon Cross, Greg Emerson, Matt Flint and Alontae Taylor.
Players relate to him
Director of Regional Recruiting and National Speaker for Rivals Camp/Combines and former UAB coach Ron Sigler has a strong background with Pruitt being in Birmingham. Sigler tells Saturday Down South that Pruitt will do well at a place like Tennessee and is the “real deal, very animated, lots of spirit and fight, a great football mind and very sharp.” He says that the players will love him.
Defensive results
Pruitt’s Alabama defense finished the 2017 regular season No. 1 for total defense. Alabama also finished first nationally by only allowing 138 points (11.5 per game). During his first season at Alabama in 2016, replacing the departed Kirby Smart, Pruitt’s defense allowed 13.0 points per game and 63.9 yards on the ground.
Georgia hired Pruitt ahead of the 2014 season following being Florida State’s defensive coordinator in 2013. Pruitt’s FSU defense was a good fit along with an offense that featured Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and winning games by an average margin of victory of 40.2 points per game.
Tough minded
Pruitt’s former boss at Hoover High School, head coach Rush Propst, says that the new Tennessee head coach brings toughness to the program. Propst said when Pruitt took over as Georgia’s defensive coordinator in 2014, he immediately changed the culture.
“They were a little bit more country club and lackadaisical, in my opinion, at Georgia before Jeremy’s arrival,” Propst told AL.com. “I know they had some successful teams, but the last several years, the weight room wasn’t very tough, practice wasn’t very tough. Jeremy has a way to make things tough and make kids enjoy playing for him. He makes no bones about it.”
Head-to-head with Alabama and Georgia
Pruitt can place Tennessee in position to battle Alabama and Georgia immediately on the recruiting trail. The cupboard is not bare, but it will take a recruiting cycle to provide talented depth.
UT has struggled to develop talent, but that’s one of Pruitt’s strengths.
With a strong background in Alabama, Pruitt can also go toe-to-toe with Saban on the recruiting trail.
That gap should close each year, especially given the fact Saban will turn 67 during the 2018 season.
Not enough reasons
He sucks for HC
I would rather see Tee Martin as a HC than this guy
Well feel free to go on a hunger strike.
Why? This guy has way more coaching experience and has coached in the sec at two big programs.
Idiot. The guy has done great everywhere he has gone. Fulmer knows coaches. The guy knows the SEC as well. One thing Butch didnt know even in his last year.
Give it up and get behind the coach. Tee was never a good choice to run the program. Maybe in a few more years.
This is stupid.
There are zero reasons “the vols” should be excited about jeremy pruitt.
This is proof positive fatboy Fulmer hates Tennessee football. He’s waited years to exact his revenge and now he’s getting it.
This hire represents a failure in so many ways. Pruitt is soooooooo far down on the list you really have to wonder if he was offered the job or begged to take it.
Oh and another thing. Consider the very real possibility Kevin Steele was indeed offered the job but because he has insider info as to what’s going on with that sh!#t diaper of a program, he was savvy enough to politely decline.
To say Tennessee settled for pruitt is to suggest he was legit fringe candidate. He wasn’t.
Bad news for alabama right now. Good news for alabama next season.
That’s just dumb. You don’t gain cred by posting ridiculously stupid comments, though I am getting used to seeing them from lowlifes line you.
Well it’s the truth.
Tennessee is a hot steamy Walmart parking lot sh#!t diaper that could’ve had Mike leach but thanks to fatboy, who did they get? Well they got a good defensive coordinator that’s not even remotely ready for the big water.
You know wha jeremy pruitt is at Tennessee? He’s a co-headcoach, that’s what he is.
Well it’s the truth.
Tennessee is a hot steamy Walmart parking lot sh!#t diaper that could’ve had Mike leach but thanks to fatboy, who did they get? Well they got a good defensive coordinator that’s not even remotely ready for the big water.
You know wha jeremy pruitt is at Tennessee? He’s a co-headcoach, that’s what he is.
Someone’s salty lololol
seatonda, put the burning torch and pitchfork down. As a Georgia fan, Pruitt is the last coach I wanted to see go to Tennessee.
I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t at the top of the list out the gate. The Vols will have the best defense they’ve had in Decades in a few years, if not sooner.
The only negative I can possibly see: If he is successful, Alabama will come calling when Saban retires. Alabama fans think they can just call Swinney, or even Smart and they will come running. I doubt either will. That would leave Pruitt as the likely candidate, depending on how it goes.
As a Georgia fan, Mel Tucker is the last coach I wanted to go to Tennessee. But yea, Pruitt is a good hire.
Yet another Saban disciple…you know, the guys that NEVER beat their old mentor and will run a SEC, aka, dinosaur offense.
He will gone in four years…but stupid is, as stupid does.
Haters gonna hate. There is a good chance he lasts longer than ole gravel mouth.
Always with them negative waves. Give the guy a chance. I have no idea if he will be successful or not, but I am willing to wait and see and hope for the best.