Everything you want to know about Tennessee Vols Football Coach Jeremy Pruitt

Everything you want to know about Tennessee Vols Football Coach Jeremy Pruitt

December 19, 2019

 

 

From the time he was a teenager teachers and family members say  Jeremy knew what he wanted to be when he grew up  ........
“A SEC Football Coach”.

Jeremy attended Plainview School in Rainsville, Alabama. That is where it all began for Jeremy Pruitt, the Tennessee Volunteers football coach

He went to school there, played football there and even coached here.

Inside the library of the school, the yearbooks go back - way back - to the 90's when Pruitt played ball, and what better person to reminisce with on Jeremy's childhood than the man who taught UT’s coach in sixth grade.

 

Jeremy’s 6th grad teacher Bill Ayers. Bill says one day, I remembering asking the class what they wanted to do when they grew up.  So, as 6th grader Jeremy said, 'well I’m gonna be a SEC football coach,'"  Bill remembers.

"Did you think he could do it," we asked?

"Well, knowing Jeremy - I did. But, I normally wouldn’t. I’ll be honest with you," Ayers replied.

If you live in Tennessee and you are a fan of the volunteers, you probably know a lot about Jeremy Pruitt. In this article I am going to share with you some information that you may not know.

Jeremy had an impressive coaching career already established before moving on to Tennessee. Coach Pruitt has been coaching for over 20 years. At the time of this article, he is now 45 years old and making $3,700,000 a year as the Tennessee Vols football coach.  He has said that there was once a time that the Tennessee football team was feared, and he wants to bring the Tennessee Vols football team back to that point.

 

Born May 28, 1974, in Rainsville, Alabama, his parents were Melissa and Dale Pruitt. His father is a well-known coach, and while you may think that Jeremy may be following in his fathers footsteps, but he has had a remarkable career
in his own right.

 

Jeremy also had the ability to play for his father in his younger days. During this time, he was named the all-state in Plainview for two years. The first was in 1991 and the second was 1992.

He was also able to help his team achieve a record of 48-8.

Both his father and his mother say that he was a good student and that he has an aptitude & vast knowledge and a willingness to learn. He also is said to be a great listener and took in what he learned, which made him a better player than others in his class.

The knowledge that he gained proved to be invaluable. He was able to see advantages and insights that some player with more talent had a hard time seeing.

Jeremy’s sixth sense gave him an advantage over players who may have been faster, or stronger and he learned how to utilize these insights to their full advantage.

After a successful high school career, he began his college career. He was recruited as a quarterback for Middle Tennessee State and decided to switch positions during his first year to defensive back.

At the beginning of his Sophomore year, he transferred to the University of Alabama, where he stayed for the next two years of school. In 1997 however, he made the change from player to coaching as a student assistant for the Alabama team before working as an assistant coach under his father.

 

His coaching only took off from there, as did his life outside of the game. After being an assistant coach, he became a defensive back coach for Hoover high school in Alabama, before becoming their defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for two years. Once he accomplished this, he became part  of the Alabama Crimson Tide staff. From 2007-2012 he became their director of player development before becoming their defensive backs coach.

 

It was during this time he married Haley Martin and had a son named Jayse, but sadly the marriage didn’t last. They split up amicably with no animosity, and Haley later married David Martin. The Martin family are members of the Church of Christ, and because of this, Jayse was said to have had significant influences in his life due to the fact that Jeremy and Haley were able to stay friends. Martin’s son and Jeremy’s eldest son have also been best friends since preschool, which makes the families even closer.

 

 

In 2013 Jeremy became the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Florida State Seminoles. However, something else of note happened.  He met a woman named Casey East. He fell in love with her, and they married in 2014 when his son Jayse was a senior in high school. That was also the year that he began coaching for the Georgia Bulldogs before becoming a defensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

 

He remains happily married to Casey, who has been praised for being a lovely woman and Jeremy’s biggest supporter. She is also credited with being involved in the game and caring for the players, as well as being fascinated by what drives them. Some have even called her a mom to the other players.

 

The Pruitt’s added to their family soon after with two little sons. Ridge and Flynt and at the time of this writing Jeremy’s & his wife is currently pregnant with a little girl due next month. His eldest son has been reported saying that they have always been a family, and it didn’t matter that he was so much older than his siblings. His mother, Haley, has said that Jayse is the perfect son, and it is clear that both families love each other and have made a life that includes all of their children.

Casey is involved in helping women in need as well. She is a woman of faith and had prayed that she would be able to help in some way. Soon after, they asked her to co-chair the Womens Fund of East Tennessee luncheon. Its purpose is to improve the lives of low-income women in the region.

 

 

This means that both Jeremy and his wife stay busy. This is especially true now. When he became the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, he signed a contract for six years and has already shown that he was a great choice. While his starting debut game was a loss, he quickly gained momentum and got some important early wins.

But this last season, he was able to experience his the teams second shut out. Tennessee has loved him as a coach, and he has been able to improve many players in their skills and abilities, with some players being able to double their career output in a single season.

Another essential thing about Jeremy is that he stresses academics and their importance. As a result, several Tennessee players are considered to be standouts in the classroom as well as the field.

Jeremy Pruitt has continued to gain respect from Vols fans, players, and the entire state of Tennessee.  Jeremy Pruitt has had an extraordinary career and many hope he will spend the rest of his career as the Tennessee Vols head football coach.

Some of his personal accomplishments over the years he has been a part of the following:

 

  • 52 NFL draft picks

  • 5 National Champions

  • Two time Broyles award finalist

  • 18 all-conference first-team selections

 

With all of this success, Jeremy Pruitt might seem like an intimidating figure. but everyone in the Vol circle reports he’s very down to earth. He enjoys spending his free time when he gets with his family and enjoys being able to play golf with Jayse.   

 

His other children  are still young, they probably haven’t even picked up a golf club yet or fully understand what it means to have a father that is the coach of the Tennessee Vols.  It is reported that Jaremy Pruitt loves music, country music music and Alabama being his favorite.

 

 

Another thing he loves?

Cornbread. It’s his favorite food to indulge in. A family man and a great coach, it’s no wonder many volunteers  thinks  Jeremy has established himself as the Tennessee Vols coach of the future.

He has a passion for football unmatched by any, and it is evident that while he is coaching the Tennessee Vols, his goal is to give the team his all while trying to make the players the best that they can be as players and human beings.

The team and the fans are both excited about this because it means Tennessee will continue its rise to the top of the SEC and Jeremy Pruitt will get his wish. Tennessee is going to become a team that is feared … again!    

We hope this article has given you more insights about Jeremy Pruitt the husband, dad, and coach of the greatest football tradition in college football.

 

 

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