KNOXVILLE — As the 2017 season heads into the rear-view mirror, Jeremy Pruitt officially places all of his focus solely on his duties as Tennessee’s head coach.

Part of the duties for Pruitt, who just helped Alabama win another national championship, is to complete his coaching staff. Since being named Tennessee’s head coach on Dec. 7, a few rule changes have taken place and Pruitt must adjust to them.

The first was the implementation of the early signing period from Dec. 20-22, which Pruitt adjusted to well in a short amount of time before going back to Alabama to prepare the Crimson Tide’s defense for the CFP.

Now Pruitt must finalize his coaching staff.

Last April, the NCAA passed a measure allowing teams to hire an additional on-field assistant coach, so staffs can have a total of 10 assistant coaches. This rule took effect this week.

Pruitt can focus largely on who he will hire not only as his 10th on-field assistant, but also official roles for other assistants he has already brought in.

Names that have been reported who are already on staff:

  • Tyson Helton (Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
  • Brian Niedermeyer (TBA)
  • Robert Gillespie (Running backs)
  • Will Friend (Offensive line)
  • Tracy Rocker (Defensive line)
  • Chris Rumph (Outside linebackers)
  • Kevin Sherrer (Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers)
  • Terry Fair (Defensive backs)
  • Charles Kelly (Special teams/safeties)

Niedermeyer will join Tennessee after being an assistant director of personnel operations at Alabama. It is unclear if he will coach tight ends as an on-field assistant or if he will go off field as part of the support staff. Currently Niedermeyer’s title on his Twitter bio is “Assistant Coach at The University of Tennessee.”

The decision on Niedermeyer’s role is important because of the number of positions to fill on the coaching staff. If he coaches on-field then Pruitt will need to fill only one open spot.

That position is most likely a wide receiver coach or even a co-offensive coordinator role.

One interview that has been confirmed has been with current ASA College head coach Joe Osovet. He told Saturday Down South that he interviewed with Tennessee on Jan. 3. It is still uncertain if Osovet will land a position on staff, but the JUCO coach confirmed that he had a long interview with Tennessee and that him recruiting the northeast region would be an asset for the staff.

Former Hoover (Ala.) High head coach and current Colquitt County (Ga.) High head coach Rush Propst has also been in discussions in regards to joining Pruitt’s staff. The discussions continued last week. If Propst were to join Pruitt’s staff, he would have to be an on-field coach.

Why? The NCAA Bylaw 11.4.3 reads: “In bowl subdivision football, during a two-year period before a prospective student-athlete’s anticipated enrollment and a two-year period after the prospective student-athlete’s actual enrollment, an institution shall not employ (or enter into a contract for future employment with) an individual associated with the prospective student-athlete in any athletics department noncoaching staff position or in a strength and conditioning staff position.”

The Vols have former Colquitt County players Shawn Shamburger and Ja’Quain Blakely already on roster, and J.J. Peterson committed to Tennessee on Jan. 6. So, in keeping with Bylaw 11.4.3, Propst can only be considered as an on-field coach initially at Tennessee.

Another name surfacing to fill a final position on staff is current Purdue inside receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard. He has worked previously with current Vols’ offensive coordinator Tyson Helton as Western Kentucky’s receivers coach when Helton was OC.

Other names might also come to the forefront to fill remaining spots on staff. They could include Memphis receivers coach David Johnson, current Carolina Panthers receivers coach Lance Taylor, Alabama co-offensive coordinator/WR coach Mike Locksley, and Georgia wide receivers coach James Coley.

Pruitt can closely look at what direction he wants to go in to complete his staff at Tennessee; the recruiting dead period expires on Friday.

During the remaining last few days of the dead period, college coaches are not permitted face-to-face contact with recruits or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete, nor visit their high schools. But coaches can write and call the students or their parents.

So Pruitt and staff can call recruits while Pruitt also focuses on completing his staff.

The recruiting contact period goes from Jan. 12-Feb. 3 with a quiet period Feb. 4. One final dead period will be from Feb. 5-8; National Signing Day is Feb. 7, though the bulk of recruiting has been done.