When the Tennessee Vols hired Jeremy Pruitt to replace Butch Jones as the program’s head coach ahead of the 2018 season, various former Georgia Bulldogs players shared some strong thoughts about the move.

Pruitt, who served as Georgia’s defensive coordinator from 2014 to 2015, was criticized by former Bulldogs players Aaron Murray and David Pollack for the way he treated then UGA head coach Mark Richt.

“When he was at Georgia, the way he acted, the way he treated Coach Richt, I thought was poor,” said Murray in 2018. “He needs to prove to me that he can handle the whole ship. For right now, I don’t think he can.”

“The stories that I have heard and some of y’all have heard that came out of Athens – that are true, (from) coaches that were on the staff, some of the things Jeremy Pruitt did to Mark Richt, some coaches would tell you are the most disrespectful, most crazy things they heard,” noted Pollack in 2018.

Richt, who landed at Miami after he was let go by Georgia, was asked about Pruitt in 2018 after those comments were made by Murray and Pollack.

“Here’s the deal…I’m at Miami,” said Richt. “He’s at Tennessee. I’m going to talk about Miami and I’m sure he wants to talk about Tennessee. So, we’ll leave it at that.”

The Athletic asked Pruitt this week about working under Richt at Georgia.

Pruitt, who declined to get into specifics about his time at Georgia, called Richt one of the best coaches and men that he’s ever been around.

“In my opinion, Coach Richt is one of the best coaches — and men — I have ever been around,” said Pruitt. “It is amazing, the run Coach Richt had, because at the time Georgia was behind in facilities and spending.”

“We look back on that season (2015 when UGA went 9-3 in the regular season) and think it’s a disappointment,” added Pruitt. “But nowadays we might make the playoffs.”

Time heals all wounds. And it certainly sounds like Pruitt has a different perspective when it comes to Richt than he did a decade ago when the two worked together in Athens.

Tennessee Volunteers News

‘I would’ve paid him’ – Former Tennessee Vols player would’ve handled the Nico Iamaleava situation differently

Former Tennessee Vols defensive back Malik Foreman says he would’ve handled the Nico Iamaleava situation differently than head coach Josh Heupel. Foreman, though, believes Heupel ultimately handled the situation the correct way. Iamaleava transferred from Tennessee to UCLA earlier this spring amid reports that he was working to negotiate a new NIL deal. The former […]

Zach Ragan