No coach had a better relationship with 2022 stud quarterback Ty Simpson than Jeremy Pruitt so it was natural on Monday that he took the news of Pruitt's firing hard. But on Monday night, Simpson was on the phone with acting Tennessee head coach Kevin Steele as the VFL turned lead Vol tries to calm the unsettling waters around Vol football.
"It was him introducing himself to me and getting to know each other," Simpson said of his first interaction with Steele. "His message to me was that he played here and is a graduate here and played in the NFL. Nothing beats playing quarterback at the University of Tennessee if you are from Tennessee. Just the life after football, with the jobs and experience you can have."
Simpson was the first 2022 prospect that Steele reached out to and it meant something to the Martin, Tennessee native.
"It was a big deal to me for sure," Simpson said. "I didn't know that I'd get to talk to him and I wasn't sure he knew I was, but he said he watched my tape at Auburn. He said I impressed him as a defensive coach and that really hit it off with me. It was emotional for all of us since he is a friend of coach Pruitt's and he and I had a relationship. We both understood the emotion of it."
Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas A&M and others continue to reach out to Simpson on a daily and weekly basis. Simpson is working to get to know Alabama and their new offensive coordinator. So after hoping to come to a January decision, he's taken a step back and slowed his recruitment down some. That notion gives Tennessee a fighting chance to try and salvage something with him and that's why the talk with Steele was important.
"Coach Steele doesn't play around and I like that," Simpson said. "To tell me straight up things and be honest is what I need in a coach. That was very cool to hear all the things he said."
Tennessee will continue to work toward finding a new Athletic Director and then a new top Vol on the sidelines. Steele could have a chance to make the move to the job permanently, but Simpson says they didn't speak about that as they were more just focused on building a bond.
"We didn't really talk about that because it was his first day and I think we were both just getting to know each other," Simpson said. "Regardless whether he would be my head coach or not if I went there is beside the point. I just want to know the guy and know he is a good person and know we are still welcome at Tennessee."
