Bulldogs nab FSU Jeremy Pruitt as defensive coordinator

Mark Richt found his man.

Jeremy Pruitt, defensive coordinator for Florida State during its national championship run this past season, has accepted the same position at Georgia, multiple sources told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Contract terms were not immediately available.

Pruitt, 39, was said to be in Athens Tuesday, where he met with Richt and other members of Georgia’s staff.

Todd Grantham resigned Sunday as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator to accept the same position at Louisville.

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

Pruitt also has a reputation as an outstanding recruiter. He was named “National Recruiter of the Year” by 247Sports.com in 2012.

Pruitt joined the Alabama staff in 2007 as director of player development. Before that, he was an assistant coach at Hoover (Ala.) High from 2004-2006. And before that, he was 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 played defensive back at both Middle Tennessee and Alabama. He transferred to Alabama after his sophomore season.