Vol Report: UT Fans, Bond with Pruitt Brought Ansley Back to Rocky Top

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Offensive lineman Chris Akporoghene #77 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Offensive lineman Jahmir Johnson #58 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - The Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Offensive lineman Ryan Johnson #70 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Offensive lineman Ollie Lane #78 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy #55 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Quarterback Brian Maurer #18 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Wide receiver Josh Palmer #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

KNOXVILLE, TN - APRIL 09, 2019 - Running back Princeton Fant #44 of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Photo by: Emma Petty/Tennessee Athletics

Vol Report: UT Fans, Bond with Pruitt Brought Ansley Back to Rocky Top

April 09, 2019 | Football

By: Zach Stipe

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – It was an easy decision for Derrick Ansley to return to Rocky Top after spending a season in the NFL as the Oakland Raiders' defensive backs coach.

Ansley, who was hired as Tennessee's defensive coordinator in February, said his relationship with head coach Jeremy Pruitt and the lure of Tennessee's campus, resources and fanbase was strong enough to pull him back to the college game.

"Being from the South and coming back to the South was very appealing to me," Ansley said. "Working with Coach Pruitt was probably the ace in the hole for me because he kind of gave me my start as a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2010 when he was the secondary coach. He and I have a very, very strong and unique bond. I consider him one of my biggest mentors. He's helped me along the way throughout my career."

Ansley was an assistant at Huntingdon College, an NCAA Division III school in Montgomery, Ala., when he first met Pruitt, and the pair eventually worked together at Alabama in 2010-11 before Ansley came to Tennessee as the cornerbacks coach in 2012. He also coached the secondary and was co-defensive coordinator at Kentucky (2013-2015) before reuniting with Pruitt at Alabama as the DBs coach (2016-17).

"Coming back here, working here at Tennessee in 2012, the familiarity with the campus, the fanbase, it was a really easy sell for me to come back," Ansley said.

Tennessee's hire of Ansley was a coup after the 14-year coaching veteran and two-time national champion transformed the Raiders' defensive back unit into one of the NFL's most improved last fall.

The Raiders had 14 interceptions with Ansley in 2018 after totaling only five in 2017. Ansley coached Gareon Conley in Oakland. Conley finished fifth in the NFL with 15 passes defended as he made tremendous strides in his second year in the league, starting 14 games after appearing in only two games as a rookie.

Ansley believes his NFL experience will give him an advantage back in college football.

"I think that just gives me a little more credibility with the guys because all of them always ask me 'how is the league, how is practice different than what we do here, how is the 16-game schedule with the preseason,'" he said. "I think it gives a coach a little bit more of a credibility factor on dealing with guys that want to go to the NFL."

Chevrolet Orange and White Game will Feature First Team Offense vs. First Team Defense
Pruitt announced on Tuesday the format of the Chevrolet Orange and White Game, the annual spring exhibition this Saturday at 6 p.m. at Neyland Stadium.

The first team offense will be paired with the second team defense and the first team defense will be paired with the second team offense to give the fans the most competitive matchups: 1s versus 1s and 2s versus 2s.

The game will be played with a running clock until the final four minutes of each half, and Pruitt is looking for an uptempo game.

"I think we hope to play a little faster so we can get more snaps," Pruitt said. "We like to get somewhere between the 65-70 (plays) range. Something that has to do with putting drives together. I think it will be a great opportunity."