Jeremy Pruitt, the teacher

At his introductory press conference, Jeremy Pruitt spoke of his days as an educator.

As an elementary teacher, he was tasked with instructing all subjects — including teaching kindergarteners how to tie their shoes.

These days, Pruitt is the $4 million leader of the Tennessee football program. But the root of the head coach hasn't changed. He's still an educator at heart.

“I got in this business for the kids,” Pruitt said at his introductory press conference. “Chancellor Davenport talked about how I was a kindergarten through third grade PE teacher. I did it for three years. I told her during my interview that I taught everyone through 2001-2004 how to tie their shoes in the city of Fort Payne.

"I also told her that I started suggesting Velcro.”

The interview answer to the University's former chancellor was not a prepared line. Not a coached statement. It's the essence of who Pruitt is.

Pruitt's passion is teaching and it always has been.

“I like being around young people,” Pruitt told Volquest in a sit down interview. “I like to help them grow more than just being a football player. I think all of us adults have learned a lot of lessons through the years. Being able to pass on that wisdom or knowledge to do it this way, don't do it the other way because I have made that mistake before. I like the guys on our team. I like the way they are trying to buy in. There's not been any push back which is a good thing.”

When Pruitt got the Vol job, Alabama players spoke of Pruitt's teaching skills, and now a week before his first game as a head coach, his new Vol players are praising their coach's ability to instruct, too.

“I think what coach Pruitt does well is that he is a very, very good teacher,” senior Jonathan Kongbo said. “So really all summer he spent time with us going through everything. By the time camp came around I knew the whole playbook because we spent so much time on it.”

For Kongbo, it's not just an investment in man hours with the players. It's how Pruitt uses those man hours that gives him and the rest of the team confidence.

“With him as a head coach you see him working with the 2's and 3's, even the 4's. He sits down with everyone. Everybody in this program is important to him. I feel like that makes a big difference with the guys because you feel like he cares.”

“During one of our 7 on 7's, I had one of the coverages wrong. He just came over. He was very calm and just explained to me that I needed to do this. Your eyes need to be here and there. He said it in a way that I couldn't forget it. I haven't messed up the coverage again.”

Defensive back Baylen Buchanan has as good of a view of Pruitt the teacher as anyone. Pruitt cut his teeth in coaching in the secondary. He has a passion for coaching defensive backs. That passion has him leading individual defensive back drills on the practice field everyday.

“Coach Pruitt is a very smart coach. He knows football. He's making everyone on defense smarter,” Buchanan said. “Secondary is his forte. Having him in the meeting room helps us play smarter and faster.

“He preaches to the defense playing plays. Know what you are getting before it happens. So understanding different formations helps you know what's going to come and helps you make you play faster.”

When asked about Pruitt teaching skills, safety Nigel Warrior described them as "excellent"

"They know how to explain things to you," Warrior said. "They have different teaching styles for every different person."

Signing the right players and developing them is what will lead to wins and losses for Pruitt. Enough wins, and Pruitt will thrive on Rocky Top. Not enough victories and Pruitt's future will be cast. No one knows that more than the first -year head coach. But for the Rainesville, Alabama native, the root of why he coaches and what his ultimate accomplishment is centers around the development of his players for life which includes football and well beyond.

“I hope that everybody that I have come in contact with over the years that I coached or taught, I have tried to do my best. I try to give it my all to allow them to get what they want. I think that's what you are supposed to do as a coach. It's not about you,” he said.

“It's about the people that play for you. I'm passionate about what I do and what the guys in our program do. That's what we want to do. When a young man comes to Tennessee our goal is to help them get what they want.”