Jan 2, 2014; Newport Beach, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles offensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt at the 2014 BCS National Championship press conference at Newport Beach Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
UPDATE #2: Multiple outlets now reporting that Pruitt has agreed to be the DC for Georgia at $850,000 per year. Our article here.
UPDATE: In addition to the below speculation from Radi Nabulsi, Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports has jumped in with this latest report:
Hearing that #UGA is making a strong move for #FSU DC Jeremy Pruitt.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 14, 2014
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In the aftermath of Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham leaving for “greener pastures” at Louisville, there has been widespread speculation about who would take over on defense for Mark Richt and company. Alabama defensive coordinator (and UGA alum) Kirby Smart and Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi have long been considered the “home run” hires for Georgia, but one UGA insider has another name projected in the spot.
Radi Nabulsi, who has been a TV/radio personality with inside connections in Athens, came out swinging on Tuesday afternoon.
Could the #FSU to #UGA pipeline come full circle with Jeremy Pruitt completing what Mark Richt started? All signs pointing to yes.
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) January 14, 2014
Looks like Jeremy Pruitt will need to look for houses in Athens. Hope he didn't unpack too many boxes in Tallahassee.
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) January 14, 2014
It’s important to note that Nabulsi has not formally reported that Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is headed to Athens to take the job, but this is about as close to that as it gets. Later, he acknowledged that he was “alone on an island” on this one, but he has a long track record of being right on all things UGA, and this is an incredibly viable source.
Pruitt has been lights-out in Tallahassee, guiding the highly-talented Seminoles to the national championship with the #1 pass defense in the nation this season, and he would be an incredibly “sexy” hire. Nabulsi referred (again, on Twitter) to Pruitt as a “home run indeed” earlier in the day, and I would wholeheartedly agree.
Until there is formal word, we won’t go too deep into Pruitt as a choice, but he is one of the fastest-rising assistants in the country, and he would seemingly be an ideal fit. Stay tuned.