Tennessee officially hires Jeremy Pruitt, ending their long-winded coaching search

The long, tumultuous search for the next Tennessee Volunteers head coach is officially over. The Vols announced Thursday morning that Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is now the 26th head coach in program history.

Bruce Feldman reported Wednesday night that this move was expected to go down Thursday. Sure enough, it has.

The process certainly had its fair share of twists and turns. All in all, this probably was one of the better hires they could’ve made. There’s fair skepticism about Nick Saban and his disciples, and how they’ve gone on in their coaching careers. Saban is also 11-0 against his former assistants. And, well, the Vols have also never beaten Alabama while Nick has been the head man in Tuscaloosa.

That being said, Pruitt has established himself as an outstanding recruiter. He certainly has the mettle, and the pedigree, having coached many a defense that’s gone on to win a National Championship before. Time will tell to see if UT has hired a Kirby Smart or a Jim McElwain. But this looks pretty good on the surface. And hey, at least it’s not Greg Schiano.