Jeremy Pruitt
Quick Bio: Typically Nick Saban assistants haven’t gone on to have much success as head coaches. Just ask Vol fans about Derek Dooley. But Kirby Smart and Jimbo Fisher have appeared to have bucked that trend, and many wonder if Jeremy Pruitt could continue that.
Pros: Pruitt has continued the tradition at Alabama of making the Tide’s defense one of the most formidable defenses in the nation. He took over for Smart after he left for Georgia, and Alabama’s defense hasn’t missed a step. He’s also been a defensive coordinator at Florida State and Georgia. He also played football for both MTSU and Alabama back in the mid-1990s.
Cons/Questions: Smart has thus far been essentially the only Saban assistant who’s moved on to have success as a head coach aside from Jimbo Fisher. Pruitt has no experience as a head coach in his coaching career, and Vol fans would be very wary of hiring a Saban assistant after Dooley turned out to be an unquestioned failure.
One Response
How about thinking outside the box since inside the box isn’t working. Hire Steele as Associate Head Coach and Defensive Co. and hire Tee Martin as Associate Head Coach and Offensive Co and let them pick their assistants. Double or triple their pay. Egos shouldn’t be as big a problem since neither are head coaches. Fans will give them the time to develop. Just sayin’….