KNOXVILLE — Tennessee will kick off the second half of its 2020 season Saturday at Arkansas. The Vols travel to Fayetteville following an open date last week.
Tennessee entered the season having six offensive assistant coaches, while having four on defense. The NCAA permits ten on-field assistant coaches per staff.
Following a 34-7 loss to Kentucky in Week 4, Jeremy Pruitt relieved Jimmy Brumbaugh of his duties coaching Tennessee’s defensive line. Pruitt will oversee the unit for the remainder of the season.
Parting ways with Brumbaugh has created Tennessee’s defense to have three on-field assistant coaches: Derrick Ansley (defensive coordinator/defensive backs), Shelton Felton (outside linebackers) and Brian Niedermeyer (inside linebackers).
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Todd Watson is in his his third season at Tennessee under Pruitt, serving as Director of Football Programming.
Pruitt and Watson worked together at Hoover High School in 2004 under head coach Rush Propst. Watson served as defensive coordinator, while Pruitt was defensive backs coach for Propst.
Following Tennessee’s off week, Propst discussed if someone like Watson is a good option in becoming an interim defensive line coach for the remainder of the season, helping Pruitt from an on-field staff perspective.
“Todd Watson is a quality football coach and Jeremy has probably thought about that, but he is there everyday and he knows what Todd does in a day in and day out basis,” Propst said on the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days.”
“I am sure Jeremy has thought about that inside and out,” Propst continued. “Todd is a very good football coach, they worked together when they worked for me, now Todd has been with Jeremy for quite some time. I am sure that he has thought about that.
“I think you have to look at Jeremy’s situation, too. A lot of times you do not want to rob Peter to pay Paul, so he has to measure what Todd is actually doing for him. He maybe doing something for Jeremy that he can’t afford for Todd to go be an assistant coach at that position that could affect him in another area of his football program.”
Propst mentioned that it is wise for Pruitt to not make multiple changes within his program during the season.
“I learned this along time ago — you don’t make multiple moves,” Propst said. “You minimize the damage. You try to cover up what you can cover up, but don’t maximize the damage by making multiple moves.”
The entire show with Propst can be listened to here or below.