Jeremy Pruitt wants UT Vols to be 'most accessible program' to high school coaches

Jeremy Pruitt and seven of his Tennessee assistant coaches cut their teeth in the high school ranks. With that in mind, Pruitt wants to accommodate high school coaches.

"We want to be the most accessible program to the high school coaches in all the United States," Pruitt said.

Pruitt has a chance to show high school coaches what he and his program are about next week, when Tennessee will host a coaches clinic.

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“I’m fired up about our coaches clinic," Pruitt said. "... We’ve had a bunch of high school coaches already come to our practice. It’s going to be open door to high school coaches all the time. It helped me as a high school coach. People were good to me and gave me an opportunity to go watch practice, to sit at the meetings, to grow as a coach, and we want to do the same thing here."

It's a symbiotic relationship. 

High school coaches benefit from spending time around guys working in the college ranks and get to peek into their world.

And it affords Pruitt the chance to establish a quality rapport with high school coaches, something that can come in handy on the recruiting trail when a high school coach's player is considering Tennessee.

Pruitt built a reputation for being a strong recruiter during his years as a defensive assistant and defensive coordinator.

Pruitt salvaged a 2018 recruiting class that is ranked 20th nationally in the 247Sports Composite, but he surely has hopes for stronger classes in the future.

Tennessee's coaches clinic will be April 5-7.

Pruitt and his coaching staff will conduct sessions during the clinic, and a keynote roundtable will include Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer, Duke coach David Cutcliffe and former UT quarterback Peyton Manning.

Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels are among the other coaches scheduled to speak.

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Those attending the clinic will be invited to Tennessee's April 5 practice and its April 7 scrimmage.

"We want to make our coaches clinic the best in the country," Pruitt said.

Key to Rainsville

Pruitt was awarded the key to Rainsville, Ala., his hometown, during a ceremony earlier this month.

"I have a lot of pride in where I’m from, and I think the people in our community do," Pruitt said. "I was fired up about it and very appreciative of it."

Pruitt said that what excited him even more was that Plainview High School, his alma mater, won Alabama's Class 3A boys basketball state championship the week before.

"That was a big deal to me and our community," Pruitt said.