Alabama football defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is the new head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers. How much will the transition impact the Crimson Tide?
Another CFB Playoff season and another Alabama football assistant moving up in the coaching ranks. Chapter three of the Tide loses a key coach during a championship run is headlined by Jeremy Pruitt.
The official Tennessee announcement will be made Thursday and until then Pruitt will likely remain quiet about his Crimson Tide coaching plans. It is expected he will work for both programs through the Tide’s Playoff schedule. Kirby Smart handled his transition to Georgia while doing double duty for the Tide.
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Unlike Kirby, Lane Kiffin did not continue with the Tide after gaining the FAU job. Nick Saban’s first-hand experience with such changes and how they impact his team is valuable. There is no firm evidence suggesting a coach cannot perform for his old team and players while moving to a new gig. That does not make the change any less problematic or disconcerting to Tide fans.
Impact on Tide recruiting
Even if Jeremy Pruitt continues to perform at a high level for the Tide, the transition will clearly affect recruiting. Despite their long association, Nick and Kirby butted heads a bit as Smart recruited for Georgia while still the Alabama football DC.
The other potential for short-term upheaval is among the Tide staff. Will Pruitt take other Tide assistants with him to Tennessee? And who becomes the Tide’s next DC? That is a lot of strain to place on a staff that needs to be singularly focused on winning another championship.
Rumors are already flying around about Tide linebacker coach Tosh Lupoi. Pruitt might try to hire Tosh as the Vols DC or Saban may choose to promote him to Tide DC. Pruitt is a great recruiter. So is Tosh. Losing both guys would be a body blow to Tide recruiting.
Is the terrain still toxic in Tennessee?
Obscured in the latest Pruitt and UT news is the quagmire at Tennessee. Some very good coaches were not interested in taking an Orange plunge. Jeremy Pruitt must now work for an AD that has not always been loyal to other top people at his own school. It is a potentially toxic situation that can only be tempered by winning big. And winning big is something the Vols have not done for over a decade. Pruitt will be the fifth Vols head coach since 2008.
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Jeremy Pruitt becomes the sixth Saban assistant to get a head coaching position in the SEC. Five of them have had varying degrees of success from Derek Dooley to Kirby Smart on opposite ends and including Jimbo Fisher, Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain. Alabama football fans will face a quandary – continue to hate the Vols and root for them to lose every game or hope Pruitt does well, excluding beating the Tide.