Tennessee Hires Alabama Defensive Coordinator As Head Coach

Tennessee Volunteer fans can exhale now as new athletic director Phillip Fulmer has found their guy.

After what seemed to be a process that would never end, the Vols have hired Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt to be their next head coach.

Jeremy Pruitt has been named the 26th head coach of the Tennessee football program.

Welcome to Rocky Top, Coach Pruitt! 🍊🏈

STORY » https://t.co/umAqTlyJ8D pic.twitter.com/tTDYmtBtXr

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 7, 2017

Who is Jeremy Pruitt?

Pruitt, 43, played for the Crimson Tide in 1995 and 1996. Shortly after, he became a graduate assistant at Alabama. He then spent the next decade coaching high school football until becoming director of player personnel under Nick Saban in 2007.

In three short years, Pruitt was promoted to defensive coordinator. He was a pivotal part of Bama’s 2011 and 2012 national championships. In 2013, he took the defensive coordinator job at FSU and won his third consecutive national championship. The Volunteers should be happy to see his championship history as Rocky Top has not seen a national championship trophy in Knoxville since 1998.

Former Alabama Players React

Social media makes everything more interesting, and one way it does so is being able to see athletes react.

Here is how the former Crimson Tide players reacted to the news of Jeremy Pruitt heading to Tennessee:

Now y’all take good care of my guy! Cause if you don’t! Me and all the previous players he recruited will start a riot 😭😭😭…. Gone miss you JP…. 😭😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/Nk8Zjz6Xt4

— Alphonse Taylor (@SHANKK50) December 7, 2017

https://twitter.com/Anderson_365/status/938622534135795713

I truly believe Pruitt can be the best coach to ever come out of the Saban coaching tree. He has all the tools, most importantly the DRIVE and the IT factor, just like Nick.

— Will Lowery (@jwlowery29) December 7, 2017