Jeremy Pruitt continues to add assistants to his off-field coaching staff after a number of assistants left for other jobs this offseason. And this time, he’s added someone he’s coached with before.
Jeremiah Wilson will be leaving his position as UT-Chattanooga’s defensive backs coach to join Tennessee’s staff as a defensive quality control coach. The Times Free Press first reported the news and it was later confirmed by Dan Harralson of Vols Wire.
Wilson worked with Pruitt in a similar off-field role at Florida State in 2013 while Pruitt was the Seminoles’ defensive coordinator. The Seminoles won the BCS National Championship that season.
Pruitt left Florida State after the 2013 season, but Wilson stayed on staff there for four more seasons. Wilson coached in various roles for the Seminoles, but he was never an on-field coach. That changed prior to the 2018 season when he was hired at UTC to be their defensive backs coach.
Much like a lot of Pruitt’s coaching staff, Wilson has high school coaching experience. After his collegiate playing career at Huntingdon College finished up, Wilson coached there before moving to Amos P. Godby High School in Tallahassee, Florida. He coached defensive backs there and also served as their recruiting coordinator for college programs scouting his players.
Wilson is the second off-field addition to Pruitt’s staff this offseason. At the end of January, Pruitt added Michael Colosimo from Kentucky to his support staff at UT. Colosimo worked with new Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney up at Pittsburgh.
Pruitt has had to restock his support staff after several departures this offseason, so expect more moves besides the additions of Colosimo and Wilson.
John Lilly left UT to go coach tight ends in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, Shelton Felton left to go coach inside linebackers at Akron, Montario Hardesty left to coach running backs at Western Kentucky and then left that position to go coach wide receivers at Charlotte, and Tino Sunseri just left his role to go coach with his father and brother on Alabama’s staff.
On-field roles that have changed this offseason for Tennessee include the hiring of Jim Chaney as OC, the hiring of former Vol quarterback and USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin, and the departure of safeties coach and special teams coordinator Charles Kelly for Alabama.
