HOOVER — Jeremy Pruitt remembers when the Tennessee football program was one of the best in the nation, and the Rainsville, Alabama native is hopeful that he can return the Volunteers back to that level.
“Well, when you talk about comparing Tennessee now to like me and you know it at — when I was growing up, Tennessee was one of the premier programs in the country, and that’s still the expectations of the fans, the — everybody associated with the athletic department, our coaching staff and our players,” Pruitt said Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “You know, but what comes with that, a lot of it has to do with who you play. And this league is very competitive. We have very good coaches in this league. Probably, it’s more competitive now than it’s ever been.”
That high level of competitiveness though doesn’t intimate the former longtime Alabama assistant — it just means that Pruitt and his staff have to work even harder.
“You know, so we got to do our part,” Pruitt said. “And we have a plan as a staff. You know, we’ve got to execute the plan. Our players, they believe in our vision and the kids that we’re recruiting. And it takes a lot that goes into it, and we’re continuing to work our plan.”
Tennessee is coming a 5-7 season in which the Volts went a disappointing 2-6 in the Southeastern Conference. After a promising spring (in which the team had 14 “really good practices”), Pruitt believes that his program ready to make strides in 2019 due to the trust and familiarity his staff have developed with the players.
“After being there for a year, we know the players that we have,” Pruitt said. “We know what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, and I think that’s been extremely important in the development of our football team.
“Obviously, the longer you do something, the better you get at it,” Pruitt added. “So guys are playing the same position they played last fall throughout the spring. So it has helped in the development of our team.”
If the Vols want to make significant strides in development then quarterback Jarrett Guarantano will need to do the same. Guarantano passed for 1,907 yards with 12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
“He’s a guy that I believe in, I have confidence in,” Pruitt said. “Jarrett is a guy that has lots of arm strength. He has talent with his feet. He can extend plays. He’s a tough guy, and I think everybody in this room that’s covered Tennessee football for the last three years knows and respects the fact that he has toughness.”
The focus for Pruitt and his staff is to return the Vols to the stature of his youth and that is claiming championships.
“You know, I don’t know how many number of conference championships or draft picks that we’ve coached, but we’ve been a part of winning a championship,” Pruitt said. “And that’s our plan, that’s our goal at the University of Tennessee.”