College football and the quest to win sometimes produces strange bedfellows. At Tennessee, there may be nothing stranger than the idea of new athletic director Phillip Fulmer grooming a first-year head coach who has been “Alabama to the core” for most of his life.

But later today, ending perhaps the strangest football coaching search in college football history, Mr. Tennessee Football will introduce his first-ever hire as an AD in Jeremy Pruitt.

If you spend any time with Fulmer you know his thoughts on Alabama. Fulmer has respect for the program and its tradition. But there's no school---and I mean no school---he has ever wanted to beat more than the Alabama as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

It's that notion that has led Fulmer to hire Pruitt. Some people will joke if you can't beat ‘em, join them. However for Fulmer, it's the complete opposite: if you can’t beat ‘em, go into their camp and grab someone who can.

Fulmer has hired Pruitt for one reason: to beat Alabama. Tennessee hasn't beaten Alabama since Erik Ainge was the Vols’ quarterback. They haven't beaten a Nick Saban-Alabama team. Finding someone to beat the Tide is a key part of what has led Fulmer to Pruitt.

As Fulmer looked for his program leader, he was looking for a tough coach, a coach who could recruit nationally and develop players. Those are key traits that Fulmer outlined to former AD John Currie when Currie asked him what Tennessee needed in their new coach.

It's what Fulmer sought when he rebooted the search on Saturday. Toughness, recruiting success, and experience in the SEC were clear criteria as evident in his three finalists.

The bottom line is that Pruitt checks all of Fulmer's boxes — even if he grew up wearing the wrong colors.

However, checking the boxes doesn't guarantee success. Pruitt has never run a program. He's never managed a full staff. He hasn’t dealt extensively with the media, with University brass or big-wig donors. He has plenty to learn.

But Pruitt doesn't have to do it on is own. He also has a great resource in his new boss. Fulmer can help with all details of running a program, starting with assembling the staff.

After all, Fulmer was a one-time coordinator who got his first shot in the SEC at roughly the same age that Pruitt is today. It worked out ok for Fulmer.

The Hall of Fame coach is looking for the same success from his first pivotal move as AD. Nearly 25 years ago, Doug Dickey did what Fulmer has done. Dickey tabbed a promising young coordinator who was tough, could recruit and could develop players. It was certainly the right move by Dickey, as Fulmer led the Vols to unprecedented success. Fulmer credits Dickey for much of that success because of his support and mentoring. He also says that when Dickey retired as athletic director, he suffered.

Now a week into the job, Fulmer has tabbed the coach that he wants to mentor and help get his beloved program back on top.

Fulmer’s dream would be watch this Alabama graduate smoke a cigar and sing “We don’t give a damn about the whole state of Alabama” after witnessing the Vols end the Tide’s win-streak in the series. For Pruitt, that thought likely hasn’t crossed his mind, but you can bet it was number one on Fulmer’s list as he chose Tennessee’s next coach.

Tennessee isn’t shooting for an eight-win season or a streak of really fun bowl games. Tennessee wants to beat Alabama, which would make the Vols elite once again. That’s why Fulmer hired an Alabama guy to lead his school’s program.

Yes indeed, the SEC does indeed produce strange bedfellows – All in the quest for wins.

After all, in the SEC, it just means more.