Both staff writer Ben McKee and managing editor Nathanael Rutherford contributed to this article
Jeremy Pruitt is now searching for a new off-field coach for his staff this offseason.
According to a report from Austin Price of VolQuest, Director of Player Personnel Drew Hughes is moving on to a different job. Hughes is joining Will Muschamp’s staff at South Carolina in a similar role he served at UT.
Hughes has been instrumental in Tennessee’s recruiting efforts and played a pivotal role in repairing relationships in Memphis. Prior to his stop in Knoxville, Hughes spent four years in a similar role at Florida. At South Carolina, he takes over for Matt Lindsey, who just took the Director of Player Personnel at Ole Miss for Lane Kiffin.
Muschamp worked with Hughes at Florida in 2014, and now the two will be reunited. Pruitt worked with Hughes at Alabama from 2007-11 before Pruitt brought him on to his Tennessee staff in 2018.
Hughes’ role at Tennessee was described as “managing the recruiting department for the Vols, including on and off-campus recruiting, talent evaluation, and high school relations.”
Since 2012, Hughes has helped the teams he’s coached for bring in 30 NFL draft picks, including 12 in the 2018 draft, headlined by first-round picks Bradley Chubb and Taven Bryan.
At Tennessee, Hughes made $190,000 with the Vols. He helped UT bring in a top-15 class in the 2019 cycle and a top-10 class in the 2020 class.
One Response
Crap!
I was thinking that our off season coaching turnover was finally stopping after 10 years. This is very disheartening and frustrating. On a light hearted note. Your typo that he was Director of Payer Personnel” is probably spot on.