On the heels of a dominating 24-7 win over No. 11 Kentucky, Jeremy Pruitt has been named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors the football coach whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership, and integrity, while also having success on the field.
Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl announced on Tuesday that Pruitt had been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week for this week.
“Coach Pruitt’s win against Kentucky was a statement win for both him and the Tennessee program,” said Jim Terry, the chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, in a press release on Tuesday. “Beating two ranked teams in your first season as head coach is an impressive feat. Coach Dodd would be proud of how quickly Coach Pruitt has made an impact on this program.”
With the win on Saturday, Tennessee has now won 17 consecutive games over Kentucky in Neyland Stadium and 32 of the previous 34 match-ups between the two teams. Pruitt is the first Tennessee head coach since Phillip Fulmer in 1993 with multiple wins over a ranked team in his first season.
“Coach Pruitt’s leadership has obviously set a new tone for Tennessee football,” said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & President Gary Stokan. “With him at the helm, we all look forward to seeing more impressive wins like this one.”
Tennessee will be back in action on Saturday against Missouri. With former head coach Derek Dooley back in town as Mizzou’s offensive coordinator, the Vols will be looking to pick up win No. 6 on the season and become bowl eligible in Pruitt’s first year at the helm.
