Jeremy Pruitt eyeing 'good people' as UT Vols assistant coaches

New Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt already has his sights set on his main objective: putting together a strong staff for his first stint as a head coach.

The Vols coach didn't want to talk specific names of potential assistant coaches on Thursday at his introductory press conference. He did, however, say he wants to ensure the fit at the University of Tennessee is right for whomever he approaches.

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“We are going to take our time," Pruitt said. "We are going to make sure we get the right guys or right fit.”

Pruitt was hired as Tennessee's coach on Thursday morning, ending a bumbling 26-day coaching search.

On Thursday night in the Tennessee locker room, he stressed there is "no substitute for good people" and finding good people to be on his staff will be his first priority. He also will be focused on coaches who can be teachers both on and off the field.

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"The staff needs to have guys who have leadership ability," Pruitt said. "They are going to be good recruiters, and they are going to be loyal to the University of Tennessee.”

Earlier Thursday, a handful of coaches from around the nation — and most with SEC ties — were reportedly expected to join Pruitt in Knoxville.

Colorado State offensive coordinator Will Friend is expected to join Pruitt's staff, according to the Coloradoan. It is unclear what role Friend would hold, but the bulk of his coaching experience comes on the offensive line.

According to VolQuest.com, Pruitt also is expected to add USC passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tyson Helton and Colorado State cornerbacks coach Terry Fair to the staff. Fair played at Tennessee in the mid-1990s. Helton is expected to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

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VolQuest also indicated that Tennessee running backs coach Robert Gillespie could be retained on Pruitt's staff.

SI.com's Bruce Feldman reported that Georgia linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer is expected to be the new Tennessee defensive coordinator. Feldman also added that Florida defensive line coach Chris Rumph and former Georgia defensive line coach Tracy Rocker are expected to round out the defensive staff.

Pruitt and Friend were teammates at Alabama in the mid-1990s. Friend started for four years on the offensive line, two of which overlapped with Pruitt's career as a walk-on.

Friend, who also is Colorado State's offensive line coach, is the highest-paid assistant coach in the Group of Five. He makes $540,000, according to USA TODAY Sports’ database of assistant coach salaries.

Friend has been at Colorado State for the past three seasons and also has worked at Georgia as the offensive line coach.

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Helton, 38, has been at Southern California for two years, tutoring Sam Darnold. He spent two seasons at Western Kentucky, helping put together a record-setting offense under now-Purdue coach Jeff Brohm.

Fair played at Tennessee and was a first-round draft pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. He worked under Butch Jones, then took the cornerbacks coaching job at Colorado State.

Gillespie has been the running backs coach at Tennessee since 2013.

Sherrer was one of the few holdovers from Mark Richt's staff at Georgia. He has been with the Bulldogs for the past four seasons after a stint at South Alabama. Rocker was the other holdover from Richt's staff, but he was fired in February. Rocker has worked at Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Auburn.

Rumph coached the defensive line at Florida last season before taking on the interim defensive coordinator role. He previously spent three seasons as defensive line coach at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide to a pair of national titles. He also coached at Clemson and Texas before joining Florida's staff in 2015.