Coaches' familiarity helping Jeremy Pruitt have smooth start with Vols [photos]

Jeremy Pruitt watches a drill during Tennessee's practice on March 20, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Tennessee Athletics)
Jeremy Pruitt watches a drill during Tennessee's practice on March 20, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Tennessee Athletics)

KNOXVILLE - Jeremy Pruitt is in charge of an entire football team for the first time in his coaching career, but the first-year Tennessee coach is not watching practice from an ivory tower just because he now holds the title of head coach.

As the Volunteers held their second practice of the spring session Thursday, Pruitt was on the far reaches of Haslam Field throwing passes as part of a drill with Tennessee's cornerbacks.

Vols coaches

Kevin Sherrer› Role at Tennessee: defensive coordinator/inside linebackers› Seasons worked with Pruitt:Hoover High School 2005-06 (assistant)Alabama 2010-12 (director of player development)Georgia 2014-15 (outside linebackers)Kevin Rumph› Role at Tennessee: co-defensive coordinator/outside linebackers› Seasons worked with Pruitt:Alabama 2011-12 (defensive line)Will Friend› Role at Tennessee: offensive line coach› Seasons worked with Pruitt:Alabama 1995-96 (playing)Georgia 2014 (run game coord./OL)Charles Kelly› Role at Tennessee: special teams/safeties› Seasons worked with Pruitt:Florida State 2013 (Special teams/linebackers)Tracy Rocker› Role at UT: defensive line› Seasons worked with Pruitt:Georgia 2014-15 (defensive line and associate head coach)Chris Weinke› Role at UT: running backs› Seasons worked with Pruitt:Alabama 2017 (analyst)Brian Niedermeyer› Role at UT: tight ends› Seasons worked with Pruitt:Georgia 2015 (graduate assistant)Alabama 2016-17 (graduate assistant, assistant director of recruiting operations)Coaches on UT staff who have not worked with Pruitt before:› Tyson Helton (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)› David Johnson (wide receivers)› Terry Fair (cornerbacks)

"That's why I came here, was to coach," Pruitt said after Tennessee's first practice Tuesday. "So that was the easiest part for me. That was the easiest part to do."

The practice field is Pruitt's oasis, and it brings out the version of him that most of his assistants know best. Before they worked for Pruitt, seven of Tennessee's 10 full-time assistants worked with him during his stops at Alabama, Georgia and Florida State. Pruitt and defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer even worked together on the staff at Hoover (Ala.) High School in 2005 and 2006.

With players, coaches, student assistants and trainers all working together on a sprawling outdoor practice area that features more than two full fields, the familiarity is helping fend off confusion during spring practice.

Pruitt noted there was one hiccup in the practice plan Tuesday, but practice appeared to run smoothly during the portion open to media on Thursday.

"All the places I've coached in 11 years I've been in college football have used the same practice plan," Pruitt said. "It works. So I think it helps in player development. There's one thing about it is if you stand over there and watch, you're not going to get any better. Everybody's getting the same amount of reps."

The offense features just two assistants who have worked with Pruitt before - running backs coach Chris Weinke and tight ends coach Brian Niedermeyer - so Pruitt is taking time to sit with the offensive assistants and learn their way of thinking.

That group is led by offensive coordinator Tyson Helton.

"When we watch tape, we'll watch it as a staff and I'll sit there and I can see what the offense is doing," Pruitt said. "If I have questions, I'll ask them and have a good understanding of what they're trying to get done. I've sat in their meetings every day."

Cornerbacks coach Terry Fair is the lone defensive position coach with whom Pruitt has not worked in the past.

"The guys that we have on the defensive staff, I'm probably a little bit more familiar with, more comfortable with, because we've all worked together," Pruitt said. "Kevin Sherrer, Tracy Rocker, Chris Rumph and Charles Kelly, we've all worked together for several years. Charles only one year, but the system he came from is very similar to ours. So those guys, they kind of prepare things. I go in there and I spend a little bit of time with them."

While Pruitt may spend more time in offensive meetings than defensive meetings, when it comes time to step onto the field, there is no question about where Tennessee's head coach is going.

"I'd say the thing that I've got to do is (ask) where can I contribute the most to our organization when the football starts?" Pruitt said. "I'm a defensive coach, so I'm going to spend most of my time on the defensive side."

Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.

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