Steele joining the Tennessee staff

Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt has made a staff hire. Pruitt is hiring former Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele as a defensive assistant.

Steele and and Pruitt have been friends for many years and Steele’s coaching began at Tennessee in 1980 as a student assistant. This will be Steele’s third stint as a Vol assistant. He was a full time position coach in 1982. He was also the defensive backs coach in 1987-88. For the last five years, Steele has been the defensive coordinator at Auburn.

Three years ago, Steele was one of three candidates Phillip Fulmer interviewed for the head coaching job before Fulmer hired Jeremy Pruitt.

The hiring of Steele comes on the heels of reports that there was a hiring freeze preventing Pruitt from filling either of his current staff vacancies.

Tennessee’s chancellor office would not comment on the reports of Pruitt not being able to hire anyone when asked by Volquest.

On Friday, Tennessee offered Steele the job with a contract and the deal was finalized today.