Tennessee hires Pruitt as coach

Tennessee hired Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt as its head coach, capping a tumultuous search that cost an athletic director his job as the Volunteers attempt to recover from one of their most disappointing seasons.

Pruitt agreed to a six-year deal Thursday that will pay him $3.8 million annually. Pruitt’s hiring comes six days after former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer was named athletic director and put in charge of the coaching search. Fulmer took over for John Currie, who was suspended just eight months into the job as Tennessee investigates whether it can fire him for cause.

Pruitt replaces Butch Jones, who was fired Nov. 12 after going 34-27 overall and 14-24 in Southeastern Conference competition in five seasons. Tennessee went 4-8 this season.

Mike Riley is returning to Oregon State as an assistant on new coach Jonathan Smith’s staff. Riley was fired last month as head coach at Nebraska. He was head coach at Oregon State twice, from 1997 to 1998 and from 2003 to 2014.

Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield was selected as the Associated Press college football player of the year, the fourth Sooners quarterback to win the award since it was established in 1998. Mayfield on Thursday won three other awards: Walter Camp national player of the year, Maxwell (best allaround player) and Davey O’Brien (top quarterback). Other major award winners: Doak Walker (outstanding running back), Bryce Love, Stanford; Fred Biletnikoff (outstanding receiver), James Washington, Oklahoma State; Chuck Bedarnik (best defensive player) and Jim Thorpe (best defensive back), Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama; Outland (outstanding interior lineman), Ed Oliver, Houston; Dick Butkus (best linebacker), Roquan Smith, Georgia; Lou Groza (outstanding kicker), Matt Gay, Utah; Ray Guy (best punter), Michael Dickson, Texas; coach of the year, Scott Frost, Central Florida.