Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt won't be working for Kirby Smart.
He'll be replacing him.
Pruitt, who noticeably improved Georgia's defense during his two seasons in Athens, is leaving to become defensive coordinator at Alabama, his alma mater. He is succeeding Smart, who was introduced Monday as the new head coach of the Bulldogs.
"We are excited to announce that Jeremy Pruitt has rejoined our staff at Alabama as defensive coordinator," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Friday in a release. "He did an outstanding job in the six years he was with us and did the same at Florida State and Georgia after that. Jeremy is obviously an excellent defensive coach, and he also does a great job in terms of recruiting and developing relationships with players."
The Bulldogs lead the nation in pass defense (allowing an average of 146.1 yards a game) entering their TaxSlayer Bowl date with Penn State, and they rank eighth in total defense (298.0). Georgia allowed 227.4 passing yards a game and 375.6 total yards per contest during Todd Grantham's final season as coordinator in 2013.
Smart is recruiting this week for Georgia, but he will return to Alabama and continue serving as the Crimson Tide's defensive coordinator through their run in the four-team College Football Playoff. The semifinals are on New Year's Eve, and the championship game is Jan. 11.
Pruitt will not stay through the bowl with the Bulldogs, who play Jan. 2 in Jacksonville, Fla.
"This is a special opportunity for me to come back to the University of Alabama," Pruitt said. "Growing up in the state and having played and coached here, I have a great appreciation for Alabama football. Coach Saban's success speaks for itself, and I wouldn't be where I am today without the chance he gave me to join his staff back in 2007."
The Macon Telegraph reported that Pruitt told Georgia defensive players Thursday that he was leaving, adding that he wanted to stay but that he was not being retained. That, according to the paper, did not go over well with the players.
Pruitt was asked by reporters after Georgia's 13-7 win at Georgia Tech two weeks ago whether he wanted to return for a third season in Athens.
"I want to be at Georgia, and I think our whole staff wants to be at Georgia," Pruitt said. "I hope that's clarity enough."
Pruitt began his coaching career not far from Chattanooga as a defensive assistant at Alabama's Plainview and Fort Payne high schools, and he was Saban's director of player development from 2007 to '09. He served as Alabama's secondary coach from 2010 to '12, working under Smart and helping produce seven defensive backs who were drafted into the NFL.
Four of those seven - Dre Kirkpatrick, Mark Barron, Dee Milliner and HaHa Clinton-Dix - were first-round picks.
The Crimson Tide won the 2011 and '12 national championships, and Pruitt earned a third straight title as Florida State's defensive coordinator in the 2013 season. The Seminoles led the nation in scoring defense that season, allowing an average of just 12.1 points per game.
Pruitt was occasionally viewed as abrasive during his time in Athens, and his defenses weren't always stellar - Tennessee shredded Georgia for 519 yards in the 38-31 win by the Volunteers on Oct. 10. Yet there was no denying the strengthening of his defenses or his ability as a recruiter.
He was named by 247Sports.com as its national recruiter of the year in 2012, when he helped Alabama land linebacker Reggie Ragland and helped in the flipping of tailback T.J. Yeldon from Auburn. Before leaving for Florida State, Pruitt led Alabama's efforts for tailback Derrick Henry, the favorite at tonight's Heisman Trophy ceremony.
Pruitt made history this past season by becoming the first assistant coach in Bulldogs history with a salary of more than $1 million. He earned $850,000 during the 2014 season and received a bump to $1.3 million in January.
The Bulldogs have lost two commitments this week, with three-star cornerback Malek Young of Coconut Creek, Fla., saying Friday that he was reopening his recruitment. On Monday, four-star running back Devwah Whaley of Beaumont, Texas, announced he was backing out of his nonbinding pledge.
Georgia's 15 commitments still rank ninth nationally in the 247Sports.com team rankings but have slipped to 17th, according to Rivals.com.
The most publicized commitment for the Bulldogs, five-star quarterback Jacob Eason of Lake Stevens, Wash., is visiting Athens this weekend. Eason recently visited Florida but is still scheduled to enroll at Georgia next month.
"Good to be back in Athens with my boys," Eason posted Friday night on Twitter.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.