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Jeremy Pruitt focusing on relationships with players

Pruitt has spent the offseason building relationships with the Vols.

HOOVER, Ala. — Jeremy Pruitt admitted at SEC Media Days that he might've been focused on the wrong things when he started as the head coach at Tennessee.

He was busy trying to fix everything and set the program up for success 15 years down the road that he forgot the most important thing. Relationships.

And building relationships is one of his strongest traits. But he was too concerned with the layout of the weight room and the details of the nutrition program to get to know his players. That's the first thing he changed this offseason.

"I have learned a lot this offseason and it was a pretty easy fix to fix relationships and build our relationships with our players and it takes time, over time you learn to trust people and you get to know them and who they are," Pruitt said.

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"I talked to my wife about it and it was pretty interesting. She's always taken a lot of credit for the success that we've had over the years, so I asked her when the season was over with, 'you haven't mentioned a whole lot about your contributions to this season' and she said, 'well, if you would've moved me to Knoxville in January instead of June we would've went 8-4 instead of 5-7," Pruitt said with a laugh.

"It's been very positive this offseason, our players are comfortable around our coaching staff."

Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano feels like his relationship with Pruitt is much stronger now.

"I definitely think that we've grown relationship wise and I think that me and him are seeing eye-to-eye very much so and I think that I'm becoming the leader that he's wanted me to be. At this point, I think we're very comfortable with each other and I'm very happy that he's my head coach," Guarantano said.

The Vols begin the 2019 season at home on August 31 against Georgia State.

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