Tennessee Vols: Would Jeremy Pruitt Be A Good Hire?

Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt could be the guy for the Tennessee Vols.

After a long and very bizarre search, it looks like the Tennessee Vols have narrowed their list to just a few names.

One of those names is Alabama’s Jeremy Pruitt.

Pruitt, who played college football at Middle Tennessee State and Alabama, has been the defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide the last two years. He also served as Georgia’s defensive coordinator from 2014-15. Pruitt was Florida State’s defensive coordinator during their championship run in 2013.

The Alabama native made the jump from the high school ranks in 2007, joining Nick Saban’s staff as the director of player of development from 2007-09, before coaching defensive backs from 2010-12.

As a defensive coordinator, Pruitt has been elite. Just check out the numbers from the video below.

Those numbers are quite impressive.

So we know Pruitt is a defensive wiz, but is he ready to be a head coach in the SEC?

Pruitt has a lot of unique experience that I think has prepared him to lead a program. First off, anyone who has coached under Saban has a headstart on being a first time head coach. Does coaching under Saban guarantee success? Of course not (we saw that with Derek Dooley), but if you’re going to learn from a coach, I’d think he’s the best coach in the nation to learn from.

During Pruitt’s time at Alabama he’s served in a variety of roles, giving him a good feel of the program from top to bottom. As the director of player development at Alabama, he was involved with the academic side of the sport, so he knows better than most assistant coaches what goes into being successful in that area.

Pruitt’s also served as an assistant under Jimbo Fisher and Mark Richt, so he’s seen how thing are done outside of the Alabama bubble as well. I think that’s an important facet for any assistant coach. No one is going to be able to completely mimic what Alabama does. Pruitt, or anyone else that makes the jump from coordinator to head coach, will have to pull from all of his experiences as an assistant coach to find his own way as a head coach.

I think Pruitt has the tools to be a successful head coach in the SEC. He’s a relentless recruiter who is driven to succeed. He’s also proved he’s a great X’s and O’s coach.

But the hiring of Pruitt (if he ends up being the guy) will probably feel a bit underwhelming for some fans.

And I get it. Vol fans were hoping for a huge splash hire during this search. Gary Patterson, Chris Petersen, Mike Gundy and Dan Mullen were all names that were floated at various points during this search. Even names like Jeff Brohm and Mike Leach were close to happening for the Volunteers. But those guys either passed on Tennessee or Phillip Fulmer passed on them.

Based on what’s left, Pruitt is the best hire that can be made. Unlike some of the other candidates, I think he has the potential to be an elite coach in the SEC.

Next: Potential Jeremy Pruitt Staff

But he also has the potential to be a bust.

Only time will tell, but I think Tennessee fans should at least be optimistic if Pruitt is hired by the Volunteers.