Kevin Sherrer wanted to 'finish the right way' with Georgia before taking Tennessee DC job

Kevin Sherrer wasn’t about to leave his team high and dry, especially with a playoff game in the Rose Bowl to prepare for.

But once the season concludes, the Georgia outside linebackers coach will head to Tennessee to be its defensive coordinator under head coach Jeremy Pruitt. Sherrer wanted to finish the season out with his team, especially with the players he helped recruit and develop at the position he coaches.

In Sherrer’s eyes, it wouldn’t be fair to leave his team to focus solely on Tennessee with so much to still play for.

“I’ve been here for four years. I helped recruit a lot of these guys,” Sherrer said. “I wanted to finish the right way for them. I think the disruption of schedule and coaching, and those type of things, I didn’t think it was fair for those guys to do that. Of course Coach Pruitt is in the same situation so it made it a little easier from the understanding standpoint.”

Sherrer, hired by former Georgia head coach Mark Richt, is the lone holdover from the previous staff. He was one of two assistants head coach Kirby Smart decided to keep when he arrived. The other, Tracy Rocker, was fired after the 2016 season. During his time at Georgia, Sherrer coached outside linebackers Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins, Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy.

While Carter is happy for Sherrer’s promotional opportunity at Tennessee, he is thrilled he stuck around for the playoff.

“I'm just honored that he came back and he wanted to finish the job,” Carter said. “He wanted to make sure that he didn't leave us hanging and that we got a chance to play for a championship, and we had to do it with him.”

For Sherrer, the chance to not only be a defensive coordinator, but work with Pruitt again, made it an easy decision to make. Sherrer said he has known Pruitt for roughly 25 years. The two previously coached together at Georgia when Pruitt was the defensive coordinator from 2014-15.

This won’t be the first time Sherrer has been a defensive coordinator, however. Before coming to Georgia, he was South Alabama’s defensive coordinator. But being one at a Power 5 program is a different challenge, but one Sherrer is ready for.

“You always want to be a coordinator and then one day hopefully be a head coach,” Sherrer said. “I’m really excited. It’s a great place to be, it’s a great opportunity. I know a lot of the coaches personally and they are great men. I’m excited about it but it’s a little bittersweet because I have a lot of great friends here too.”

This story was originally published December 31, 2017 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Kevin Sherrer wanted to 'finish the right way' with Georgia before taking Tennessee DC job."