KNOXVILLE - A few months before the dramatic saga that led to Jeremy Pruitt being hired as Tennessee's head football coach, Pruitt took it upon himself to remind his Crimson Tide players of the history behind an upcoming rivalry game against the Volunteers.
"We joke about it all the time just because of his pep talks," Crimson Tide senior cornerback Levi Wallace said. "Right before we played Tennessee, he gets us hyped for that. He's always talking about how we've got to smoke the cigars afterwards.
"So it's kind of funny seeing him go right to Tennessee."
The irony is clear, but it's also evident that Alabama's defensive players still hold deep respect for Pruitt, even as he prepares to leave his home state and alma mater for the head coaching position at a rival school.
Several contributors to the Crimson Tide's esteemed defense spoke to the Times Free Press during last week's Sugar Bowl media day about Pruitt and what they expect him to bring to his first head coaching job. Alabama plays for the national championship against Georgia on Monday night in Atlanta, and then Pruitt will turn his sole focus to Tennessee.
New Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt speaks to the audience before the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Calvin Mattheis)First off, the Vols better be prepared to hear the northeastern Alabama slang version of the words "all right" from Pruitt.
"You're going to hear that a lot," Alabama redshirt sophomore linebacker Anfernee Jennings said with a laugh.
"That's definitely one of his trademark words," added redshirt junior linebacker Jamey Mosley.
Beyond his quirks, Alabama defenders praised Pruitt for his ability to simplify complicated schemes and for his personable nature and the open-door policy that comes with it.
"You're definitely going to have fun," redshirt senior cornerback Anthony Averett said. "He's a guy that you can talk to - go into his office and talk to him about anything."
Before Pruitt left his post as Alabama's defensive backs coach after the 2012 season to become Florida State's defensive coordinator, he had been active in recruiting Averett from New Jersey. The two reunited before the 2016 season when Pruitt returned to Alabama, and that's when Averett stepped into a starting role.
"He's just a very good person, a very good coach," Averett said. "He makes the game easier for us. The defense can be complex, but he helps us understand it a little easier with play-calling and things."
The word "simplify" comes up often when Pruitt's coaching style is discussed. His ability to simplify things for Tennessee's players will be important as the Vols transition from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense under the new coaching staff. The last time Tennessee tried to play a 3-4 was in 2012 when Derek Dooley hired Alabama assistant Sal Sunseri as defensive coordinator. Disaster ensued, and Dooley was fired one game before the end of a 5-7 campaign. Sunseri followed him out the door.
Pruitt has said he will tailor his schemes to the personnel available at Tennessee. Alabama players expect Pruitt's handiwork to be visible right away.
"I expect Tennessee to have a great year next year because of Coach Pruitt," Wallace said. "He brings a lot of energy and passion into his coaching. You really want to play for a guy like that. He's definitely focused on winning, and he loves football."
Alabama players also expect Pruitt to be as affable in his new role as he has been at Alabama.
"He'll make jokes like he's the funniest guy on earth," Wallace said. "Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we laugh out of pity. But he's definitely pretty cool. One of my favorite coaches on the team."
Jennings, who is from Dadeville, Ala., described Pruitt as "a Southern coach, an old-school coach."
"At the end of the day, I like that Coach Pruitt he's real, he's honest, he's loyal and he's going to give it his all every single day, and he's going to give you all the knowledge he has," Jennings said. "And whatever else you need, he's going to try and get it. He's one of those types of coaches. He's going to put his all into it with everything he does."
Mosley met Pruitt when Pruitt was working for Alabama and recruiting Mosley's older brother C.J., who now plays for the Baltimore Ravens. At the time, Jamey Mosley was just in middle school. He's had a relationship with Pruitt for nearly a decade now.
"He hasn't changed since then, and he definitely won't change as he becomes a head coach," Jamey Mosley said. "I think he's poised to become a great head coach. It's one of those things where it's kind of bittersweet. You hate to see him go, but you're proud of him. We're very thankful for what he's done for the university, and I think he's going to do great things at Tennessee.
"You're going to expect to get a hard-working coach, a coach that's going to have early mornings and late nights. This guy is going to be in his office all day long. He's going to expect his staff to be in the office all day long. He is going to expect to be great right now. He's going to expect the best out of his players right now. He's not in it to just be there. He's there to try and win a championship, and it's going to be fun to try and compete with him this next year."
The Alabama players said Pruitt has gone about his business as usual since accepting the Tennessee job last month and agreeing to continue as the Crimson Tide's defensive coordinator during the postseason.
But they know Pruitt can pull double-duty only for so long, especially when the two schools are Tennessee and Alabama.
"We always joke about what he's going to say next year while he's at Tennessee before they play us," Wallace said. "But we're excited for him. We wish him well."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.