KNOXVILLE — Tennessee has kicked off game week in preparation for its contest with Alabama Saturday at Neyland Stadium (3:30 p.m. EDT, CBS).
Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt relieved defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh of his duties ahead of the matchup.
Pruitt discussed his reasoning behind moving on from Brumbaugh, who he hired in February. He mentioned that “sometimes from a philosophical standpoint, things are just not a fit and it just didn’t work out.”
“If it’s not working out, it’s better to just do it right now,” Pruitt said. “Jimmy and I had a really good conversation. Unfortunately, probably because of the COVID-19 circumstances, when you’re a new coach and you don’t have a chance to be around your players in March, April and May and then a limited amount in June, it puts you at a disadvantage.
“This is no knock on Jimmy as a coach whatsoever. He is one of the most knowledgeable guys I’ve been around and he’ll do a good job wherever he goes. It’s just something that I felt like we needed to do and we did it.”
Pruitt said that he will be coaching the defensive line for the rest of the season.