’Bama family welcomes back Pruitt
Tide ties played major role in coach’s return
Jeremy Pruitt might be the new man on Alabama’s campus, but make no mistake, this is still Nick Saban’s defense.
Pruitt made that point clear during his first news conference since taking over as the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator this season.
“Everything in this program is Coach Saban’s,” Pruitt says. “When I left here and went to Florida State, I installed the defense that I learned here.”
While Pruitt might be hesitant to change much on the Tide’s defense, it’s partially because Alabama itself isn’t much of a change for him. Pruitt’s return to Tuscaloosa is more or less a journey back home. He played two seasons with Alabama, served as a graduate assistant and went on to coach full time for six seasons before leaving for brief stints as the defensive coordinator at Florida State (2013) and Georgia (2014-15).
“I’m excited to be back,” Pruitt said. “I grew up in Rainsville, it’s two hours from here. My family is still there. My wife’s family is from Troy (Ala.); it’s very easy for us. I’ve got a lot of fond memories here.”
Family is actually a big part of why Pruitt chose Alabama. Pruitt’s father, Dale Pruitt, the head coach at Albertville (Ala.) High School, said that on the day Jeremy signed with Alabama, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was trying to get him on a plane to Ann Arbor, Mich., and that Southern California also had an interview lined up with the defensive coordinator the following week.
“With all his family being in Alabama, it’s a long way from here to the West Coast or here to Michigan,” Dale Pruitt said. “He told me that was important in the decision.”
The family ties didn’t stop with blood relation.
“It was good to get back to see some of the old faces. The Ryan Andersons, the Dalvin Tomlinsons, Big Shank (Alphonse Taylor),” Jeremy Pruitt says of the redshirt senior linebacker and defensive and offensive linemen, respectively. “Just guys I had been involved in recruiting. It’s fun to be back in the building.”
Dale Pruitt followed up his son’s remarks on the defense, stating whoever had the job still “has Nick Saban on the headset” while calling plays.
While he doesn’t think that his son’s defense will look much different from the ones in the past under Saban, Dale Pruitt says Jeremy could make his stamp on the program through his personality.
“He’s intense,” Dale Pruitt said. “I think he’s a player’s coach, because he will do anything he can to help them. That’s always been his philosophy: You can only coach them as hard as you love them.”
The veterans on the team were familiar with Pruitt’s passion and intensity toward his players.
However, it hasn’t taken long for some of the Tide’s newer players to see what the assistant coach brings.
“He’s one of those real enthusiastic coaches,” sophomore defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick said. “He’s real energetic. He wants us to move around and fly around the field.”
When asked to compare the two coaches, Alabama players all said Pruitt and former defensive coordinator Kirby Smart bring similar traits.
Junior linebacker Rashaan Evans credits both with taking a hands-on approach to coaching while being patient with players.
“I love both coaches, as a matter of fact,” Evans said this month. “I know Coach Pruitt will do the things Kirby did as well and just help us out going into the season.”
The comparisons shouldn’t bother Pruitt.
He’ll be the first to acknowledge this defense isn’t his; it belongs to the team. He’s good with the status quo, especially when that involves winning national championships.
“As far as thumbprint,” Pruitt said, “to me I hope my thumbprint here is that we continue to have the same success that we’ve had.”
Tsoukalas is a special correspondent for The Montogmery (Ala.) Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY Network.