Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt continues his off-season staff movement. Pruitt is promoting Joe Osovet from a player development role to the tight ends position.

“I’m excited to announce Joe Osovet as our new tight ends coach,” Pruitt said. “Joe’s track record as an outstanding college coach and a top offensive mind speaks for itself. He’s been successful at every stop he has been, and he’s done a tremendous job behind the scenes here at Tennessee over the last two years. He’s ready to be an on-field coach and eager to get to work. He’s an excellent relationship builder and I believe he will do a great job in our tight end room.”

Osovet joined Pruitt’s staff in 2018 after being the head coach and offensive coordinator at ASA junior college in New York. Osovet has tons of ties to the northeast and has been on the road recruiting that area for the Vols for the last two weeks.

Osovet has a two year contract that runs through January 31, 2022. He will make $225,000 in year one and $250,000 in year two.

With the promotion of Osovet, Brian Niedermeyer is moving to the defensive side of the ball where Pruitt has an opening with Kevin Sherrer’s departure to the NFL.

Niedermeyer was a defensive grad assistant at Alabama in 2016 working with the tight linebackers. Pruitt has said since Niedermeyer was hired that he could work on either side of the ball.

“When I first got hired at Tennessee I knew Brian was a guy that was going to be a coach on my first staff,” Pruitt said. “I didn’t know what position he was going to coach, but I knew he was a rising star in the profession and a guy that knows ball. Like a lot of the guys on our staff, Brian could coach any position – offense or defense. He started out working with linebackers for me as a graduate assistant at Georgia and did the same for me at Alabama. He’s a great motivator and a very detail-oriented, fundamental coach.”

Earlier, Pruitt tabbed former Vol Jay Graham to fill his vacant running backs position. Graham, who worked with Pruitt at Florida State, is returning to his alma mater for a second stint as a coach and his second time with offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. The two were together in 2012.