Tennessee looking to add key staffer from LSU, per report

Less than a week into his tenure and it’s already clear that new Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt is assembling a staff of proven recruiters. That trend appears to have continued into the weekend when it was reported that LSU football general manager, Austin Thomas is a candidate for the same role at Tennessee.

According to a report from Football Scoop on Saturday, Thomas is being considered to come and take a similar to role to the one he holds now. Thomas is currently the only GM in the SEC, and only one of two who holds that position in all of college football. What makes Thomas an appealing hire from a recruiting standpoint is the accolades he has received. In 2015 he was named the Personnel Director of the Year for his work with recruits at LSU. Before coming to LSU, he worked had stints at both Bowling Green and Southern Cal.

While the report states that Thomas has been on the recruiting trail for LSU as of late, he has a couple of connections that could bring him to Tennessee. Thomas is a Tennessee native and graduate of the University of Tennessee. In 2009, he served on Lane Kiffin’s staff as a recruiting intern and defensive assistant. Another connection is that both he and Pruitt share the same agent, which could go a long way in the hiring process.

According to the report, Thomas turned down offers from some NFL teams last season, opting instead to stay on staff withEd Orgeron when was promoted to head coach full time.