While he will never publicly come out and say it, Kirby Smart had to have been upset when Tennessee fired Butch Jones. Making matters worse for the Georgia coach, Phillip Fulmer went and hired a coach Smart knows well and respects for his recruiting, development and tactical knowledge.

Many Tennessee fans have pointed toward Georgia and the success the Bulldogs have achieved in a short period of time as to what Pruitt could be capable of in Knoxville. Both coaches worked under Nick Saban for years before taking their first head coaching jobs in the SEC East and will now face each other annually in division play.

During his appearance in Atlanta for SEC Media Days, Smart was asked to share his thoughts on Pruitt. The two worked together in Tuscaloosa for several years, with Pruitt working under Smart on the coaching staff, and most recently worked together on the Alabama staff that defeated Clemson to earn the Crimson Tide’s first College Football Playoff championship.

According to Smart, he and Pruitt have much more in common than just working for Saban at Alabama.

“First of all, he’s the son of a high school coach, similar to me. He grew up around the game and learned at an early age,” Smart said of Tennessee’s new coach at SEC Media Days. “He relates to players really well and is very, very bright within the game. Tactically, he understands players, so it’s not just about tactics. He was a big asset for us early on at Alabama that people didn’t realize.”

The Georgia coach even recalled how important Pruitt was to Alabama’s National Championship victory over Texas in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. Pruitt’s role with the Alabama program at this point was in an off-the-field role as a director of player development.

“I remember after the Texas national championship game, there was some pressure, some different ideas (Pruitt) had given us that were successful,” Smart continued. “I was quick to give him credit and tell him he was responsible for one of those sacks. I was just the guy who called it, he was one of the guys who designed and came up with it. I look at Jeremy as very similar to myself in the way that we have grown in coaching and the development we’ve had, and we’ve been fortunate to be around some really good coaches.”

Now that Tennessee has a coach that has Smart’s respect, the rivalry could soon turn into one of the best in the SEC.