FSU defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt leaving for same position at Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. – Jeremy Pruitt, defensive coordinator at Florida State, has been named defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia according to an announcement Tuesday by UGA head coach Mark Richt.

As defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at FSU, Pruitt was part of a
coaching staff that led the Seminoles to an undefeated season and 2013 BCS
National Championship. The FSU defense ended the season ranked first
nationally in scoring defense (12.1 ppg), second in team passing efficiency
defense (93.77), third in total defense (281.4 ypg), and 18th in rushing
defense (124.8 ypg). He was a finalist this year for the Broyles Award
which goes annually to the nation¹s top assistant coach.

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"I¹m ecstatic," said Richt.

"This is an outstanding professional and personal opportunity," said Pruitt.
"I¹m looking forward to meeting the current players and getting on the road
to visit with recruits."

Pruitt was named Florida State¹s defensive coordinator in December, 2012,
after serving the previous three seasons (2010-12) as Alabama¹s defensive
backfield coach. In each of his three seasons as secondary coach, the
Crimson Tide ranked in the top 10 nationally in pass efficiency defense, top
15 in pass defense and top five in both total defense and scoring defense.

A former Alabama defensive back, Pruitt originally joined the Crimson Tide
staff in 2007 as director of player development. He had previously served as
an assistant coach at Hoover (Ala.) High from 2004-2006, and as an assistant
under his father, Dale Pruitt, at Fort Payne (Ala.) High and Plainview
(Ala.) High. He spent one season, 1999, as defensive backs coach at the
University of West Alabama.

Pruitt made an impact in Tuscaloosa his last two seasons. In 2012, Alabama
ranked No. 7 in pass defense yielding just 173.64 yards per game and No. 7
nationally in pass efficiency defense (103.72) while also leading the nation
in total defense (250.00 ypg), rushing defense (76.36 yards per game) and
scoring defense (10.93 points per game). In 2011, Alabama not only led the
nation in pass defense (111.46 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (83.69 ypg),
but the Crimson Tide led the nation in rushing defense, total defense and
scoring defense on its way to winning the BCS National Championship.
Pruitt¹s 2011 secondary at Alabama produced three first team All-Americans
and NFL draft picks in first rounders safety Mark Barron (No. 7 pick by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (No. 17 pick by the
Cincinnati Bengals). Cornerback DeQuan Menzie was taken in the fifth round
by the Kansas City Chiefs.

In 2012, Pruitt's secondary overcame the loss of three NFL Draft picks to
become one of the best in the nation. Junior cornerback Dee Milliner led the
group with 51 tackles, 18 pass breakups and two interceptions en route to
earning first-team All-America honors. A finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award,
Milliner ranked third nationally in passes defended with 1.67 per game.