We don’t know much about the team from Tennessee’s new football coach, Josh Heupel, yet. However, it is clear that Vols’ 2020 team members are changing and getting jobs in different parts of the country.
Jeremy Pruitt himself is the most remarkable story here. Whatever happens to his fight with the university over the purchase, he got a job as a defensive assistant at the New York Giants. This is his first NFL show.
Pruitt joins other former Tennessee football coaches on Joe Judge’s team, including former UT coach Derek Dooley and Kevin Sherrer, who worked with Pruitt in 2018-2019 as an internal coach for linebackers. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan confirmed Pruitt’s hiring on Twitter after it was initially reported that he would join the New York Jets.
The source says that Jeremy Pruitt will, in fact, join the Giants team. Unofficial hiring and official TBD function https://t.co/8lGkno2WBU
– Dan Duggan (@ DDuggan21) January 28, 2021
In addition to Pruitt, Derrick Ansley, his defensive coordinator, also got a job in the NFL. Ansley was hired by Los Angeles Chargers as part of the team of new defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic on Twitter.
New #Chargers DC Renaldo Hill mentioned 4 coaches who will be part of the defense team:
• Former Tennessee DC Derrick Ansley
• Giff Smith, who coached the 2016-20 Chargers DL
• Former LAR AHC and LBs coach Joe Barry
• Former SEA D quality control technician Tom Donatell– Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) January 27, 2021
Running backs coach Jay Graham remains in college. This is the second time Graham leaves the Vols after a period of one year, the other time at the end of the 2012 season. Graham is getting a better job, however, joining Nick Saban’s team with Alabama Crimson Tide. to train special teams and tight teams, according to Tim Watts of Bama Online on Twitter.
#Alabama it is expected to make another major signing at Jay Graham, as the SEC’s longtime assistant is expected to join Nick Saban’s team to train special and tight teams. Stops in South Carolina, Florida, Texas A&M and more recently in Tennessee https://t.co/Su1ocbOfBh pic.twitter.com/iDpaAdOKD3
– Tim Watts (@TimWatts_BOL) January 28, 2021
What about the other team members? Well, according to Football Scoop’s John Brice, Rocky Top is not expected to keep Jim Chaney. Oh, and Kevin Steele, the other notable member of the team who was hired two weeks ago, is also unlikely to remain on board, and he will receive $ 900,000 for two weeks of work.
Brian Niedermeyer and Shelton Felton have already been fired and no one knows what will happen to them. The same is true of Jimmy Brumbaugh, who was fired in the middle of the season immediately after UT’s loss to the Kentucky Wildcats. Will Friend was gone and is now with the Auburn Tigers.
At that point, wide receivers coach Tee Martin and tight ends coach Joe Osovet are the only remaining members. We wrote about what Peerless Price and Albert Haynesworth said about Martin on Wednesday when Heupel was hired.
Nothing is clear, but it doesn’t look like Martin will remain on the team. We don’t know what will happen to Osovet. However, Tennessee’s football assistants are now gone. All we know about the team’s future is that Football Scoop report, which suggests that Heupel will bring in many members of the UCF Knights.