If you’ll recall, Mike Bobo made Bruce Feldman’s list of top ten offensive coordinators ready for a head coaching job.
Now comes his list of defensive coordinators, and Jeremy Pruitt pops up at number three. With a bullet.
His stock surged last year after coming over from Alabama and helping FSU get over the top to win the BCS title. The Noles led the nation in scoring D (12.1 ppg) in 2013. If he can remedy what has been an underachieving Bulldog defense and help UGA win an SEC title, his profile will REALLY take off.
By the way, five of the DCs on his list coach in the SEC. And Louisville’s guy didn’t make the list.
Get The Picture 
Don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty excited that we hired Pruitt, but FSU’s scoring defense was ranked 4th and 6th nationally in 2011 and 2012, respectively. It’s not like he turned it around or anything. I don’t want to knock the guy, but maybe the expectations are a bit too high for him at this point. Then again, maybe I’m missing something.
LikeLike
This. Not to mention the guy’s only been a dc for a year. Willie looked pretty good after only 1 year too.
LikeLike
It’s not like he turned it around or anything. He didn’t take a step back either. FSU’s scoring D was ranked number one in 2013.
LikeLike
Look up their turnover ratios the year before and then when he got there
LikeLike
Fair point, and at the very least he showed that he can scheme to deploy talent effectively when he has it on hand, which is more than we can say for his two predecessors at UGA
LikeLike
Look up the change in turnover ratios
LikeLike
Given the variability and luck involved in turnover margins from year to year (as the Senator has so aptly pointed out and proven many times on this very blog), are you saying the FSU defense was good last year because of an anomaly (ala Florida 2012)? It sounds like it.
Heck, I’m more impressed by the 2011 and 2012 FSU defenses than I am the 2013 FSU defense now. It’s easy to have a good scoring D when you’re turnover margin is +17 like it was in 2013. It’s much harder when it’s -5 like it was in 2012. Sounds like he just got lucky in 2013.
Just playing devil’s advocate here 😉
LikeLike
Except that FSU jumped up +15 on INTs (Pruitt’s background) and the offense cut down on fumbles they lost…so that is you “bounce of the ball” factor..
The offenses put the ball on the ground less and the secondary got more interceptions. I would think that INTs are less about luck and more about skill than fumbles are.
LikeLike
There seems to be a fair amount of variability from year to year even with interceptions, though. Let’s look at where the other top 5 teams for interceptions gained (excluding FSU because they changed coaches) were in 2013 versus 2012.
1) Houston: 2013 = 25 (2nd), 2012 = 19 (9th)
2a) Oklahoma: 2013 = 21 (3rd) , 2012 = 12 (65th)
2b) Arizona State: 2013 = 21 (3rd), 2012 = 21 (4th)
4) Missouri: 2013 = 20 (5th), 2012 = 7 (100th)
Looks like two did pretty good the year before and two came out of nowhere. Interesting indeed.
Alabama ranked #4, #43 and #12 for 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively, when Pruitt was coaching their DB’s
LikeLike
“And Louisville’s guy didn’t make the list.” Who?
LikeLike
I thought he already had a head coaching job at Texas?
LikeLike
Referring to Todd Grantham.
LikeLike
And I’m betting “Louisville’s guy” won’t make Feldman’s list for 2015, either. However I would bet that he’ll be someplace else by 2017. Maybe the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers or some such.
LikeLike
Turnover ratio went from -6 to +17. HUGE difference in their defense
LikeLike
I think you need to say this one more time. 20% of the total comments isn’t enough
LikeLike