Tennessee basketball meets Vols football: Rick Barnes interviews Jeremy Pruitt for 94 feet

When Rick Barnes' coaching career ends, perhaps he has a future in media.

The Tennessee basketball coach put his interview skills to the test as he walked and talked 94 feet with Jeremy Pruitt ahead of his second year at the helm of the football program. 

"After being here for 12 months, the second time around, it's been a lot smoother," Pruitt said in the video posted to the football program's Twitter account before the basketball team's 58-46 win over Vanderbilt Tuesday night. "I think our guys that are coming back that have been here a year have really bought in."

After a productive offseason, Pruitt shared his excitement for the new pieces to his revamped coaching staff, roster additions and growth among the team's veterans.

"You can see kind of the positive impact they're having on their teammates and even from the new freshmen that are coming in," Pruitt said. "You can already see how these guys are in the weight room and how they're going out to conditioning."

"I think there's a good mix."

"Every year, you could lose some guys, " Barnes asked. "But with this staff coming in, you feel good about that?"

Last month, the Vols added Jim Chaney as offensive coordinator after Tyson Helton departed the program for Western Kentucky.

Most recently, Pruitt added former Oakland Raiders defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley as his defensive coordinator along with the quarterback who led the 1998 Vols to a national championship, Tee Martin. 

"I don't think anybody out there can sell the University of Tennessee better than Tee," Pruitt said, adding that Ansley is "a phenomenal teacher."  

In the final few feet, Pruitt took the opportunity to talk about the football program's spring game on April 13 (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network).  Admission is free, and gates will open 90 minutes before kickoff.

"Number 1: We want to fill up the stands," Pruitt said. "The best recruiting piece you've got is your fans, traditions and expectations. We're looking forward to a full game where we can compete and see what we got."

Pruitt's call to fans was reminiscent of his comments after last year's spring game, when Neyland Stadium appeared more than half empty. Afterward, Pruitt challenged fans to "to look in the mirror and see who we want to be."

The Vols went 5-7 in Pruitt's first season. They signed the nation's 12th-ranked recruiting class, according to the 247Sports composite, and added two transfers during the offseason.