Georgia Bulldogs hire Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt

Jan 3, 2014; Orange, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt during practice for the BCS National Championship football game against the Auburn Tigers at Orange Coast College. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

OFFICIAL: Georgia has announced Pruitt as the official hire, via press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

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UPDATE: ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has confirmed the story via Twitter.

Schlabach also reports that Pruitt will make $850,000 a year.
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Earlier on Tuesday, we brought you word that Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt had emerged as a big-time candidate for the DC job at Georgia, and now, there is at least one report that it’s a done deal.

Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Pruitt is expected to be the choice in Athens:

"“Jeremy Pruitt, defensive coordinator for Florida State during its national championship run this past season, is expected to accept the same position at Georgia, multiple sources told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.”"

This isn’t a shock based on the earlier rumblings, but that doesn’t make it less of a grand slam hire for Mark Richt. Many have opined that this was a “legacy hire” for Richt, and basically, that means that it is the one selection that he couldn’t afford to miss on. Pruitt’s Florida State defense was one of the best in the country this season (if not the best), and he’s familiar with how to take big-time recruiting classes and transform them into dominant defenses.

We will update you as the story becomes confirmed, but as of this moment, Pruitt is expected to be the next defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia.