Tennessee Football: Jeremy Pruitt to be hired ending Vols coaching drama
Tennessee football is reportedly set to hire Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt to be their next head football coach.
It’s hard to believe, but after 25 days of waiting the Tennessee Volunteers appear to have found their next head football coach. The Vols were here not too long ago, having their next coach ready to sign the papers. After making their best pitch to Jon Gruden, and being turned down, Tennessee extended an offer to Ohio State offensive coordinator Greg Schiano and things got hectic, fast.
Schiano ended up not being hired and then-Athletic Director John Currie was fired for his role in the fiasco. From Gruden to now it feels like every name in the college football world has told Tennessee no thanks. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, NC State head coach Dave Doeren, Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm and others all turned the job down.
But finally, someone has said yes. Reports began to circulate late Wednesday evening that current Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will become the next head coach at Tennessee and were later confirmed again on Thursday morning.
SOURCES: #Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt is expected to become the next head coach at #Tennessee. A deal could be announced as early as tomorrow.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 7, 2017
Breaking news: Tennessee's deal with Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt is done, according to multiple sources. We reported last night that Pruitt had accepted Tennessee's offer. Expect a press conference later today
— Jimmy Hyams (@JimmyHyams) December 7, 2017
Pruitt played defensive back for Alabama from 1995 to 1996 after transferring from Middle Tennessee. He began his coaching career as a general assistant at Alabama shortly thereafter in 1997. Pruitt has had several stops along the way serving as the defensive coordinator at Florida State and Georgia before taking over at Alabama in 2016.
Next: 5 options just in case the Vols botch the Pruitt hire
Tennessee will become the latest in a long line of teams to hire former Nick Saban assistants. The Vols play the Tide as their cross-division rival every year and Saban is currently 11-0 against his former assistants. Pruitt might not be able to beat his former boss, but he’s going to have to fare better than Butch Jones. Jones’ most recent Tennessee squad was thumped 45-7.