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TALLAHASSEE, FL (AP) -- Alabama secondary coach Jeremy Pruitt is Florida State's new defensive coordinator.

Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher on Thursday said he was hiring Pruitt to replace Mark Stoops, who left to take the helm at Kentucky.

Pruitt has been on Nick Saban's Alabama staff for three years. Fisher was Saban's offensive coordinator at LSU.

The 38-year-old Pruitt has built a reputation as an effective recruiter in addition to coaching a defensive backfield that's ranked in the top 15 in pass defense in each of the last three seasons.

The Crimson Tide currently rank sixth in pass defense, yielding just 166.23 yards per game.

Pruitt will be only the third person to serve as defensive coordinator at Florida State in the last 28 years, following Stoops and Mickey Andrews.

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