Jeremy Pruitt

Jeremy Pruitt
Pruitt in 2018
Sport(s) Football
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Tennessee
Conference SEC
Record 3–3
Biographical details
Born (1974-05-28) May 28, 1974
Rainsville, Alabama
Playing career
1993–1994 Middle Tennessee
1995–1996 Alabama
Position(s) Defensive back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1997 Alabama (GA)
1998 Plainview HS (DB)
1999 West Alabama (DB)
2000 Plainview HS (DC)
2001–2003 Fort Payne HS (assistant)
2004 Hoover HS (DB)
2005–2006 Hoover HS (DC/DB)
2007–2009 Alabama (DPD)
2010–2012 Alabama (DB)
2013 Florida State (DC/DB)
2014–2015 Georgia (DC/DB)
2016–2017 Alabama (DC/ILB)
2018–present Tennessee
Head coaching record
Overall 3–3

Jeremy Pruitt (born May 28, 1974) is the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at Alabama (2016–2017), Georgia (2014–2015), and Florida State (2013). As a defensive coordinator, Pruitt's defenses frequently ranked in the top ten nationally in total defense and related categories. Pruitt worked for Alabama as Director of Player Development (2007–2009) before becoming the Crimson Tide's defensive backs coach in 2010. Prior to joining the college ranks, he served as an assistant coach at the high school level. Pruitt was a 2013 finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top college football assistant coach, and was again a finalist in 2016. He played college football at Middle Tennessee and Alabama.[1][2]

Pruitt appeared on the TV series Two-A-Days while a coach at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama.[3]

Early life and playing career

Pruitt was born in Rainsville, Alabama, the son of Dale and Melissa Pruitt. His father is a long-time high school head coach, with stints at Pisgah (1982–1983), Plainview (1984–2000, 2006–2014), Ft. Payne (2001–2003), Marion County (in Tennessee, 2004–2005), and Albertville (2015–present).[4] Jeremy played for his father at Plainview, where he was named all-state in 1991 and 1992, and helped the team achieve a 48-8 record.[5]

Pruitt began his college football career at Middle Tennessee State under Hall of Fame head coach Boots Donnelly.[6] He was recruited as a quarterback, but switched to defensive back during his freshman season.[7] After his sophomore year, he transferred to the University of Alabama, where he played under coach Gene Stallings. He saw action in nine games during his junior season as a member of the 1995 Alabama squad, and seven games during his senior season as a member of the Outback Bowl-winning 1996 squad.[8] As a player, Pruitt helped mentor All-American teammate Kevin Jackson in defensive coordinator Bill Oliver's complex schemes.[7]

Assistant coaching career

Pruitt began coaching as a student assistant on the 1997 Alabama team, where he worked primarily under defensive backs coach Curley Hallman.[9] He then worked as an assistant coach under his father at Plainview High School (1998 and 2000) and Fort Payne (2001–2003).[10] He coached defensive backs in 1999 at West Alabama, where he earned his degree. [11]He served as an assistant coach under Rush Propst at Hoover High School from 2004 to 2006, winning state championships in 2004 and 2005.[8] While at Hoover, he appeared on the MTV reality television show, Two-A-Days, which focused on the lives of students at Hoover.[12]

In 2007, Pruitt joined the Alabama coaching staff as Director of Player Development.[13] Following Alabama's 2009 national championship season, Pruitt was named the Tide's defensive backs coach.[14] During his first season in 2010, Alabama's secondary led the SEC in passing efficiency, and included one All-American, Mark Barron. The 2011 Alabama secondary led the nation in pass defense and passing efficiency, and included three All-Americans, Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, and DeQuan Menzie. Both Barron and Kirkpatrick were drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Pruitt's 2012 secondary ranked seventh nationally in pass defense, and included Jim Thorpe finalist Dee Milliner.[6] He was named National Recruiter of the Year in 2012 by 247Sports.[6]

In 2013, Pruitt was hired as the defensive coordinator at Florida State. In his lone season with the Seminoles, his defense ranked number one in scoring defense, allowing just 12.1 points per game, and ranked third in total defense, helping the 2013 Seminoles win the national championship.[8]

In 2014, Pruitt joined the Georgia coaching staff as the defensive coordinator. His 2014 defensive unit finished 17th nationally in total defense, and finished in the top ten in turnover margin and passing yards allowed. Pruitt's 2015 unit at Georgia finished the season ranked seventh nationally in total defense, and led the nation in fewest passing yards allowed per game.[8]

Pruitt returned to Alabama as defensive coordinator in 2016, replacing Kirby Smart, who had left to become the head coach at Georgia. His 2016 defensive unit led the nation in scoring defense and rushing defense, and was ranked second in total defense.[8] His 2017 Alabama defensive unit finished the regular season ranked second in total defense and first in scoring defense.[15] The unit was part of the team that won the National Championship in the 2017 season.[16]

Tennessee

In December 2017, Pruitt was hired as the head coach at the University of Tennessee, capping a tumultuous coaching search that followed the firing of head coach Butch Jones, and led to the replacement of athletic director John Currie by Hall of Fame coach Phillip Fulmer.[17] On September 1, he made his Tennessee head coaching debut in the Belk College Kickoff against the #17 West Virginia Mountaineers. The Volunteers lost by a score of 40–14.[18] The next week, against ETSU, Pruitt won his first game as head coach. The Vols defeated the Buccaneers by a score of 59–3 in Pruitt's Neyland Stadium debut.[19]

Personal life

Pruitt has three sons, Jayse, Ridge, and Flynt, and is married to the former Casey East.[8]

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Tennessee Volunteers (Southeastern Conference) (2018–present)
2018 Tennessee 3–31–2(East)
Tennessee: 3–31–2
Total:3–3

References

  1. ↑ It's official: Alabama assistant Jeremy Pruitt is Florida State's new defensive coordinator
  2. ↑ "Jeremy Pruitt To Be Introduced Thursday As Tennessee's Next Head Football Coach," UTSports.com, 7 December 2017.
  3. ↑ Outspoken, persistent, intense: That's Nick Saban's newest assistant coach, Jeremy Pruitt
  4. ↑ Dale Pruitt, Alabama High School Football Historical Society. Accessed 7 December 2017.
  5. ↑ Rachel Bowers, "10 Things to Know About Jeremy Pruitt," OnlineAthens, 14 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Jeremy Pruitt, 2013 Florida State Football Media Guide, p. 62.
  7. 1 2 Chase Goodbread, "Pruitt Excited to Be Back Home," Tuscaloosa News, 22 February 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jeremy Pruitt, profile at Rolltide.com. Accessed: 7 December 2017.
  9. ↑ Goodbread, Chase. "Pruitt excited to be back home". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  10. ↑ "Jeremy Pruitt follows father's footsteps into head coaching ranks". WHNT.com. 2017-12-09. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  11. ↑ "What a Jeremy Pruitt staff with roots in South might mean for Tennessee Vols recruiting". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  12. ↑ "How Jeremy Pruitt went from Rush Propst's doorstep to million-dollar SEC coordinator". AL.com. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  13. ↑ "Nick Saban shares rise of Jeremy Pruitt, from Alabama development to Tennessee coach". SEC Country. 2017-12-31. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  14. ↑ "Vols: Kevin Sherrer followed a lot of same steps as Jeremy Pruitt to Tennessee". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  15. ↑ Team Statistics, NCAA.com, 3 December 2017.
  16. ↑ "2017 Alabama Crimson Tide Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  17. ↑ Richard Johnson, "The Many Twists and Turns of Tennessee's Bananas Coaching Search, Which Ended With the Vols Hiring Jeremy Pruitt After 25 Days," SB Nation, 7 December 2017.
  18. ↑ "UT Vols football: Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee lose to WVU, 40-14". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  19. ↑ "How UT Vols beat ETSU 59-3 in home opener". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
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