Jeremy Pruitt is in Tennessee. The university fired the third-year coach on Monday amid an ongoing internal investigation into the recruitment of offenses. Appointed defense coordinator Kevin Steele will serve as acting head coach.
The university and NCAA are investigating suspected site violations within the program. Tennessee also detained several attorneys to assist them in the investigation. Because he was fired because of the case, Tennessee will not pay his buyout clause, which according to the USA Today database for coaching salary. Its termination is effective Tuesday at 5 p.m. according to a letter released by the school.
In his letter of resignation to Pruitt, Tennessee said, “Your failures are likely to result in significant fines for the university and jeopardize the qualifications of our student-athletes,” in a document released by The Athletics.
Pruitt is not the only coach fired by the university amid the investigation. Assistants Shelton Felton and Brian Niedermeyer are also out. Niedermeyer was considered the best recruiter in Tennessee and was the coach of the indoor track. Felton served as coach of the lineout balance. In addition, four members of the campus recruitment staff, the director and assistant director of player staff and a football analyst was also fired.
Tennessee plans to appoint a new athletics director first, a process in which current AD Phil Fulmer will participate as he bridge the gap to his successor, before appointing a new football coach. Fulmer is not related to any of the allegations.
During Tennessee’s final game of the regular season, news broke that the program was being investigated for alleged violations. According to ESPN, the transgressions stem from the pursuit of the Class 2021 offensive suit, Amarius Mims (who signed with Georgia) and current full-back Eric Gray, who was kept out of the season finale against the Aggies for unknown reasons.
“We take our institutional commitment to NCAA compliance seriously and review regulatory issues that have come to our attention,” Tyra Haag, director of news and information, said in a statement earlier this month. “As part of the process, we are currently working with attorneys Kyle Skillman and Michael Glazier with Bond, Schoeneck & King. We will provide additional information when appropriate.”
Tennessee awarded Pruitt a $ 400,000 increase and extension through the 2025 season to the end of the 2019 season.
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The NCAA issue was not the only problem Pruitt faced on Rocky Top. He was 16-19 in three seasons at Rocky Top – his first three seasons as head coach everywhere. His tenure slowly began in Year 1 with a 5-7 record. Things got worse to open the 2019 season, when his team lost to Georgia State and BYU to open the season, but ended on a high note with six wins to close the campaign.
The finish line jumped to eight games after the victories against South Carolina and Missouri, respectively, to open the 2020 campaign. But the loss to Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama resulted in a six-game losing streak that damaged Pruitt’s third season with the program.
Pruitt also served as defense coordinator at Florida State and Georgia during his career as a coach.