Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt is all in at Tennessee
There are always going to be a few folks who question Jeremy Pruitt's loyalty to the Tennessee Vols simply because of where the second year head coach attended college. Pruitt, an Alabama native, played two years of college football at Middle Tennessee State, before finishing his playing career at Alabama. There's undoubtedly a part of […]
There are always going to be a few folks who question Jeremy Pruitt's loyalty to the Tennessee Vols simply because of where the second year head coach attended college.
Pruitt, an Alabama native, played two years of college football at Middle Tennessee State, before finishing his playing career at Alabama.
There's undoubtedly a part of Pruitt that will always have a special love for Alabama — and how could he not?
Alabama shaped who Pruitt is as a head coach. Not only his time as a player there, but also his time as an assistant coach under Nick Saban. Pruitt spent eight seasons coaching under Saban (with stints at Florida State and Georgia mixed in) before taking the head coaching gig at Tennessee.
Pruitt and Alabama will always be intertwined, regardless of any success he has with the Vols.
But that doesn't mean Pruitt isn't "all in" at Tennessee. In fact, I think he's as "all in" as any coach could be.
The former Alabama defensive coordinator was candid in his response when a reporter asked on Wednesday if he'd need a moment when he steps into Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday as an opposing head coach for the first time.
Pruitt said he didn't think he'd need to take the moment in, saying "I am very thankful for the opportunities I’ve had. I’m thankful for this opportunity. You’re guaranteed the next game, so my goal is to have our team playing our best football and that’s always been the goal. Doesn’t matter which stadium we are in."
It would've been understandable if Pruitt had said he'd need a moment when taking the field at Alabama on Saturday night. Imagine growing up in Alabama, playing there, coaching there as an assistant (after grinding it out as a high school assistant for nearly 10 years) and then taking the field as Tennessee's head coach. That's a lot to take in.
Pruitt, however, is focused on only one thing on Saturday — leading the Vols to an unlikely win against Alabama.
The fact that Pruitt can put his past with Alabama aside for an evening, and focus on nothing but beating them, is the reason he's the head coach of a SEC program.
It's similar to what former Vols offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe was able to do during his time at Tennessee, Ole Miss and now Duke.
Cutcliffe, an Alabama graduate, told reporters in 2010 (before his Blue Devils played the Crimson Tide) that Tuscaloosa holds a special place in his heart, saying "I have a deep-seated love for the University of Alabama, for the program, for all the parts and all the history and all the traditions of it".
I'm sure Pruitt feels the same way about Alabama. Cutcliffe proved it's possible for a coach to hold a deep affinity for Alabama while still being all in at Tennessee.
That's the spot Pruitt is in right now. And he's in that spot because he's invested in the players in Tennessee's program.
UT might be one of the most storied programs in college football with some of the best traditions in all of sports. But it's nothing without the current players. Pruitt has embraced UT's history, but more than anything he's embraced the players.
They're his players. It's Pruitt's team. That's why there's no doubt he's all in at Tennessee.
Featured image via Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
