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.