The bonafides are there: championship-winning coordinator, ace recruiter and great names on his reference list. Make no mistake, Jeremy Pruitt is qualified to be the head coach of the University of Tennessee.

Time will tell if he'll actually be successful as the leader of Vols.

The former Florida State, Georgia and Alabama defensive coordinator has a swagger about him, and a penchant for using the word, "aight." He's aight with fans right now, but Tennessee fans don't play around.

Just ask Greg Schiano.

Vol fans have no issues voicing their displeasure, and 100,000 people make loud noises. Pruitt would do well to heed the advice Maximus received in "Gladiator." He must, "win the crowd."

Pruitt can earn unwavering support in the same way Maximus went about taking control. He must give UT fans something they haven't seen before, or at least recently.

He needs to win the SEC East, beat Florida and show signs of life against Alabama.

Notice how being a national champion isn't on that list? It doesn't need to be - winning the SEC East paves the way for everything that happens next.

For example, the SEC championship winner has played for the national championship, or been in the national playoff, every year since 2006. The 2005 Georgia Bulldogs were the last SEC champion which  didn't have a chance to claim a national title.

So 12 years of experience says teams have to win in Atlanta to get to the national championship. And teams don't get to Atlanta without winning their division.

Pruitt's challenge is getting the Vols back to Atlanta for the first time since 2007, when now-UT athletic director Phillip Fulmer had Tennessee on the cusp of upsetting eventual national champion LSU. Pruitt's boss should be involved in helping his new protege figure out what is important in Knoxville.

Fulmer has already rolled up his sleeves in helping Pruitt, even visiting Manchester Wednesday to help lure Alontae Taylor to Knoxville. Pruitt has the background of being a great recruiter. He'll need to show it in the next two months as he tries to piece together a class which has all but fallen apart after Butch Jones' firing.

Pruitt has a host of challenges that he'll need to overcome - soon. Patience isn't something he'll be afforded, especially when the guy he replaced at Alabama - Kirby Smart - just won an SEC title in his second season at Georgia.

Pruitt needs to win, and win quickly. Aight.