Jeremy Pruitt doesn’t like to say much most of the time anyways, so last Thursday he certainly wasn’t interested in any sort of public self-reflection.
At a post National Signing Day Celebration in Nashville, Tennessee’s head coach was asked what he’d learned following an up-and-down first season as a head coach, and Pruitt tersely responded, “I mean, we went 5-7. That’s what you’re measured on: Wins and losses.”
He continued, “That’s not where I want to be or the people associated with the University of Tennessee want to be. There’s lots of ways we can improve on it, the things we’ve done this past year. A lot of good lessons to learn for everybody involved and I think we have a good vision of where we’re headed and I think our coaches have done a really nice job of selling that vision to the recruits out there and to our current players.”
Subtly is not Pruitt’s strong suit, but making moves? Vision?
It’s quite clear Pruitt has not spent the last two months simply brooding in his office inside the Anderson Training Facility.
With spring practice just around the corner, Tennessee’s head coach has made a slew of big-boy hires this offseason to improve the Vols. There’s definitely a bring-the-band-back-together feel on Rocky Top — and no one loves nostalgia more than Tennessee — but it’s inarguable that the staff is better today than it was a week ago or especially two months ago. Jim Chaney is an upgrade at offensive coordinator. Tee Martin is a solid coach with among the strongest recruiting reputations nationally and Derrick Ansley projects as a future head coach.
Pruitt proved his football acumen by spurring upsets over ranked teams last fall, but the dramatic highs (wins over Auburn and Kentucky) and lows (getting blown out by Missouri and Vandy to end the season) of Year 1 reminded me of something former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik told me at SEC Media Days last summer.
“Jeremy’s really drinking water out of a fire house right now,” Chizik said.
“It’s going to take a couple of years to iron out that head coaching position for him. I think he’d tell you that, too, if he was being honest and realistic. That’s the biggest challenge for a new head coach, ‘Where am I spending my time?’
“He’s learning to find his way.”
Every first-time head coach is overwhelmed in their first season. Pruitt was no different.
He came to Tennessee with a plan, and he quickly displayed a shrewd ability to tweak the margins of the roster and hire a slew of coaches he had strong ties to. But the rollercoaster nature of Year 1, which again happens to most first-time head coaches anywhere, forced Pruitt to face some true introspection this offseason, even if he had zero interest sharing his lessons learned with cameras and microphones present last week.
"Do we have a strong enough collection of recruiters on staff? Am I willing to take a mild PR hit for firing a VFL in favor of a coach I believe is a better fit? Is the program organized enough? What adjustments do I need to make personally as a head coach after losing just eight games total as a defensive coordinator in the five previous years?"
Pruitt waited his whole life to be the man at a high-profile program, so it’s no surprise that he struggled to cede control at times last fall, whether that was with the offense or in the secondary.
But this offseason he’s (presumably) shown a willingness to not feel forced to have his fingerprints on every decision within the program. By tabbing Chaney, Martin and Ansley, Pruitt has retooled his staff with a group he trusts.
“We continue to try and turn this big battleship in the way we want it to go,” athletics director Phillip Fulmer said last Thursday.
“It’s not going to happen all at once.”
It certainly won’t, but Pruitt’s latest offseason moves at least has Tennessee closer to pointing its football program back in the right direction.
