The Alabama-Tennessee rivalry runs as deep as any.

The two can’t even agree on the all-time series record leading into the 2:30 p.m. CT meeting in Neyland Stadium. The 15-year Alabama winning streak is in jeopardy as the Vols enter unbeaten, with a No. 6 record and considerable momentum.

But for as much tension as this rivalry’s seen, they’re still neighbors. And in the small world of SEC football, there’s a considerable crossover from coaching staffs to player transfers. Two Tennessee head coaches later became Alabama staffers in the last decade while Jeremy Pruitt went from Tide defensive coordinator to Vol head coach in 2018.

Crimson Tide middle linebacker Henry To’o To’o is in his second season with Alabama after transferring from Tennessee. He was asked Monday about returning for his first game in his old home.

“Definitely super excited,” he said. “You guys already know my journey and where I started. So definitely going to be a huge challenge. They’re a great team. It’s gonna be a great environment, so we’re excited about playing in another hostile environment, being able to test who we are as a team. It’s just another game on the road for us, big rivalry game tradition-wise. This tradition runs deep so we’re super excited to be able to uphold that tradition and that legacy of Alabama football.”they’re still neighbors for as much tension as this rivalry’s seen

Here’s a look at the connections we dug up between Alabama and Tennessee.

Tennessee connections at Alabama

• Running backs coach Robert Gillespie: Coached Vol running backs from 2013-17 under Butch Jones, who later became an analyst at Alabama.
• Defensive backs coach Charles Kelly: Coached Tennessee safeties and special teams in 2018.
• Analyst Derek Dooley: Tennessee head coach from 2010-12. Finished 0-3 against Alabama.
• Special assistant to the head coach Sal Sunseri: Was the Tennessee defensive coordinator in 2012, the final year of Dooley’s tenure as head coach.
• Director of player personnel Bob Welton: Served in the same role at Tennessee from 2013-17.
• Special assistant to the head coach Todd Watson: Spent three years at UT as director of football operations and director of football programming.
• Director of football graphics Jonathan King: The Alabama graduate was at Tennessee from 2012-17 as director of creative services.
• Senior associate athletics director Mike Ward: Spent six years at Tennessee as a member of the executive team who worked on both internal and external operations.

Alabama connections at Tennessee

• CB Brandon Turnage: In second season with the Vols after playing in four games in two seasons with the Crimson Tide.
• Director of player development Reggie Lane was the interim National Pan-Hellenic Council advisor for the Office of Greek Affairs at Alabama from August 2012-January 2013.

Past connections

• Bill Battle: The Alabama athletics director from 2013-17 was the Tennessee head football from 1970-76.
• Jeremy Pruitt: The former Tide player and assistant coach was the Vol head coach from 2018-20. Finished 0-3 against Alabama.
• Butch Jones: The Tennessee head coach from 2013-17 worked at Alabama from 2017-20 as an analyst and assistant to Nick Saban. Jones was 0-5 against Alabama.
• Lane Kiffin: The Alabama offensive coordinator from 2014-16 was the Vol head coach in 2009. He finished 0-1 against Alabama at Tennessee.
• Alvin Kamara: A reserve Alabama running back in 2013, Kamara transferred to Tennessee after going to a JUCO. He ran for 1,294 yards in two seasons before being drafted by the Saints.
• Brandon Kennedy: An Alabama reserve offensive lineman from 2015-17, Kennedy transferred to Tennessee where he became a starter in 2019 and 2020.
• Kerry Stevenson: Longtime Alabama staffer was director of player development under Pruitt.
• Danny Stiff: Director of player personnel at Tennessee under Pruitt was previously a staffer at Alabama.
• Chris Weinke: QB coach under Pruitt was previously an analyst at Alabama.
• Brian Niedermeyer: LB coach under Pruitt was an assistant director of recruiting at Alabama in 2017.
• Will Friend: OL coach under Pruitt was an All-SEC offensive lineman at Alabama in the early 1990s.
• Derrick Ansley: Defensive coordinator under Pruitt was an Alabama assistant from 2016-17.