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Jeremy Pruitt is in Tennessee. The university sacked the third-year coach on Monday amid an ongoing internal investigation into recruiting violations. Newly hired defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will serve as interim head coach.
The university and the NCAA are investigating alleged violations of recruiting under the program. Tennessee has also retained the services of a pair of lawyers to assist with the investigation. Because it is fired for cause, Tennessee will not pay its buyout clause, which was set at $ 12,880,000, according to the USA today coach salary database. Its termination will be effective Tuesday at 5 p.m., according to a letter published by the school.
In his termination letter to Pruitt, Tennessee, “your failures are likely to result in significant penalties for the university and have jeopardized the eligibility of our student athletes,” in a document obtained by Athletic.
Pruitt isn’t the only coach fired by the university in the middle of the investigation. Assistants Shelton Felton and Brian Niedermeyer are also absent. Niedermeyer was considered Tennessee’s top scout and coached inside linebackers. Felton served as the outside linebacker coach. In addition, four campus recruiting staff, the director and deputy director of player personnel and a football analyst were also fired.
Tennessee plans to hire a new athletic director first, a process in which current AD Phil Fulmer will participate as he bridge the gap to his successor, before hiring a new football coach. Fulmer has not been linked to any of the allegations.
News broke during Tennessee’s last game of the regular season that the program is under investigation for alleged recruiting violations. These violations, ESPN say, stem from his pursuit of 2021 class offensive tackle Amarius Mims (who signed with Georgia) and current Flights backer Eric Gray, who was ruled out of the season finale. against the Aggies for undisclosed reasons.
“We take our institutional commitment to NCAA compliance seriously and review the regulatory issues that have been brought to our attention,” Tyra Haag, Tennessee news and information director said in a statement early in the morning. month. “As part of this process, we are currently working with attorneys Kyle Skillman and Michael Glazier with Bond, Schoeneck & King. We will provide additional information as appropriate.”
Tennessee granted Pruitt a raise of $ 400,000 and an extension until the 2025 season after the end of the 2019 season.
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The NCAA problem wasn’t the only problem Pruitt faced on Rocky Top. He was 16-19 in three seasons on Rocky Top – his first three seasons as a head coach anywhere. His tenure started slowly the first year with a record of 5-7. 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 straight wins to close the campaign.
That winning streak grew to eight games after back-to-back wins over South Carolina and Missouri, respectively, to open the 2020 campaign. But resounding losses to Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama sparked a streak of six. back-to-back defeats that marred Pruitt’s third season with the schedule.
Pruitt was also the defensive coordinator for Florida State and Georgia during his college coaching career.
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