Atlanta, GA — On Tuesday, CBS analyst and former Georgia starting quarterback Aaron Murray shared some doubtful thoughts on first-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
The ex-Georgia QB told ESPN 102.5 The Game at SEC Media Days in Atlanta that he’s not sure if Pruitt has the personality needed to be a successful head coach. “I don’t know know if his personality is fit to be a head coach,” Murray stated. “There are so many things that go into it.”
Murray went on to say that all the politicking and PR that comes with the role doesn’t fit Pruitt’s style, and he detailed his doubts that Pruitt is equipped to run more than just a defense.
“I don’t think he’s the right guy to be the CEO of a corporation,” Murray added. “He needs to prove to me that he can handle the whole ship.”
Murray, who quarterbacked Georgia from 2010 through 2013, continued leaning into his doubts about the new Vols coach despite the fact that Pruitt has experienced success throughout his coaching career, albeit not as a head coach. “For right now, I don’t think he can do it. We’ll see what happens this year,” Murray said. “I don’t think it helps that he doesn’t have a lot of talent at Tennessee.”
Besides drawing doubt from Aaron Murray, who had a successful college career but never made it into the NFL, Pruitt has drawn praise and confidence from both Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. Fisher, who was Pruitt’s head coach during his one season as Florida State’s defensive coordinator, said that Pruitt could’ve already been a head coach, and defending SEC champion coach Kirby Smart — who worked with Pruitt at Alabama for several years — drew comparisons between Pruitt and himself.
Pruitt was hired by Tennessee Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer, a beloved former Tennessee head coach who we’ve seen happily handle a large portion of the hand-shaking and PR appearances for the football program, freeing up the verifiably talented coach to do what he does.
Not only that, but Pruitt has Fulmer to lean on if he has any questions about what being a head coach, especially a first-time head coach, is like at Tennessee and in the SEC.
Pruitt and the three Vol players with him — Kyle Phillips, Marquez Callaway, and Eli Wolf — will make the media rounds at SEC Media Days today. We will have full coverage for you on rockytopinsider.com.
One Response
What hasMurray done up to this point in his life , that Pruitt has anything to prove to him. Typical news casters double talk to try and create some controversy. I don’t know what Pruitt did to Mark at Georgia that upset Murray so much. You only got the half story out of Murray. Mark was the head coach at Georgia and could stand up for himself. Typical new guy trying to make a name for himself. Bobby Majors