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John Talty |
Jeremy Pruitt is a familiar face at Alabama but it's still been "weird" for players to see him taking in practice this week.
Pruitt officially started his second stint at Alabama last week after the school announced he would take over for Kirby Smart as defensive coordinator. He mostly recently coached at Alabama as defensive backs coach from 2010-12. There are players still on the roster he's coached and he recruited others like Derrick Henry and Reggie Ragland to Tuscaloosa before he left to become Florida State's defensive coordinator.
Ragland said before Alabama played Georgia this year that he missed Pruitt and that the then-Georgia defensive coordinator was always good to his family during the recruiting process. Now that Pruitt is back at Alabama, the senior linebacker admits it's weird seeing him around again.
"It's a little weird now because I haven't seen him in a few years," Ragland said. "It's a little weird. He's over there observing the guys he's going to have next year and the type of team he's going to have. I know he'll help with the gameplan a little, I guess. For the most part, it feels good to see him over there. He's a great person and a great coach."
Pruitt can't coach the current players because Smart agreed to stay on as defensive coordinator through the end of the season. However, he can observe practice, help break down film and recruit future players. Alabama head coach Nick Saban said earlier this week Pruitt was in "learning mode."
Alabama senior safety Geno Matias-Smith doesn't expect major defensive changes when Smart passes the baton to Pruitt. Matias-Smith hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Pruitt much early in the week but thinks the younger players will appreciate having him as defensive coordinator next season.
"He'll do a great job," he said. "He was defensive coordinator at Florida State when they won the national championship and at Georgia they did well, so he'll definitely lead Bama in the right direction."
Pruitt officially started his second stint at Alabama last week after the school announced he would take over for Kirby Smart as defensive coordinator. He mostly recently coached at Alabama as defensive backs coach from 2010-12. There are players still on the roster he's coached and he recruited others like Derrick Henry and Reggie Ragland to Tuscaloosa before he left to become Florida State's defensive coordinator.
Ragland said before Alabama played Georgia this year that he missed Pruitt and that the then-Georgia defensive coordinator was always good to his family during the recruiting process. Now that Pruitt is back at Alabama, the senior linebacker admits it's weird seeing him around again.
"It's a little weird now because I haven't seen him in a few years," Ragland said. "It's a little weird. He's over there observing the guys he's going to have next year and the type of team he's going to have. I know he'll help with the gameplan a little, I guess. For the most part, it feels good to see him over there. He's a great person and a great coach."
Pruitt can't coach the current players because Smart agreed to stay on as defensive coordinator through the end of the season. However, he can observe practice, help break down film and recruit future players. Alabama head coach Nick Saban said earlier this week Pruitt was in "learning mode."
Alabama senior safety Geno Matias-Smith doesn't expect major defensive changes when Smart passes the baton to Pruitt. Matias-Smith hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Pruitt much early in the week but thinks the younger players will appreciate having him as defensive coordinator next season.
"He'll do a great job," he said. "He was defensive coordinator at Florida State when they won the national championship and at Georgia they did well, so he'll definitely lead Bama in the right direction."
