The worst kept secret on Rocky Top became official Wednesday, as Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt announced the majority of his inaugural coaching staff for his first season with the Vols.

The former Alabama defensive coordinator still has one coaching vacancy to fill, but the most of his staff was assembled immediately after taking the job on Dec. 7.

Within 24 hours, seven coaches were already in Knoxville starting to recruit, headlined by offensive coordinator Tyson Helton, formally at Southern Cal, Robert Gillespie, the only coach retained from the previous staff, and longtime SEC position coaches Tracy Rocker and Chris Rumph.

Additional hires like special teams coordinator Charles Kelly, FSU's defensive coordinator in 2017, and strength and conditioning coordinator Craig Fitzgerald, who left the Houston Texas, were leaked in the last few weeks.

"The staff we've put together so far, which we're still working on it, I'm excited on the guys we've hired," Pruitt said.

"These guys have done an excellent job while I've been away, along with Phillip Fulmer."

Tennessee's new staff is full of SEC flavor, with Pruitt rattling off his connections to former Alabama and Georgia coaches like Kevin Sherrer, Will Friend and Brian Niedermeyer.

Pruitt played at Alabama with Sherrer and Friend and later worked with both coaches at multiple stops.

"There were times off and on we were roommates (at Alabama)," he said of Friend, ?now Tennessee's OL coach.

"He’s one of my dearest friends over the years."

Pruitt coached against Sherrer on Monday night in the National Championship Game, and the two have a relationship dating back more than 20 years.

"Me and Kevin played together at Alabama. We worked together at Hoover High School, at Alabama and at Georgia," Pruitt said.

"I’m really excited to have him here. We can kind of finish each other’s sentences so to say."

While Pruitt confirmed the roles for several of his new assistants — Rumph will hold a Co-DC title and coach outside linebackers and Kelly will coach safeties and special teams — he interestingly was coy on specific titles for Gillespie and Niedermeyer.

"Robert is going to continue in a roll here on the offensive side of the ball. He’s the one guy here I haven’t worked with," Pruitt said.

"Brian could coach any position on the offensive side of the ball. He could coach on the defensive side of the ball. He's worked on both side. We're in the process of filling another spot there, so we've got guys who are flexible that could move around."

The expectation is that Tennessee's final coaching vacancy will go to a receivers coach, with Niedermeyer coaching tight ends and Gillespie staying with the running backs.

The Vols interviewed Memphis assistant David Johnson for the receivers job Wednesday, per VolQuest.com sources.

Pruitt has also added several off the field assistants including Todd Watson as his Director of Operations and Drew Hughes, formally at UF, as his Director of Player Personnel.

Overall, the on-field staff has strong SEC ties and a combined 10 national championships on its resume.

*** As noted above, both positions are undefined officially at this time. However, based on sources and recruiting targets, it is likely that Gillespie remains the tailback coach and Niedermeyer oversees the tight ends.