The University of Tennessee football program is finally recognizing what was clear to the SEC and college football observers. Jeremy Pruitt was unable to work as a football coach and is reportedly making a change.
According to Yahoo! Pete Thamel of Sports, Pruitt is being fired. Kevin Steele, who has just been hired for the defense team, will take over as acting coach. In addition, the guy who hired him – sports director Philip Fulmer – is also leaving.
Chris Low and Mark Schlabach of ESPN report that Tennessee is firing Pruitt after an investigation into alleged recruitment violations. If Pruitt is dismissed with cause, it will likely allow the school to avoid paying him a $ 12 million acquisition that was part of a two-year extension he signed in September. But the performance of the Vols during his tenure in Knoxville justified his replacement.
Tennessee finished 3-7 during the 2020 season, his second losing season in three years as head coach. As expected, the Vols lost to Alabama, Georgia, Auburn and Texas A&M last season. But the defeats to Kentucky and Arkansas were especially unsettling for fans. And each of those seven losses was double-digit.
“Tennessee is a program that considers itself better than it is. It does not compete for championships … They are not in orbit with Georgia and Florida.”@dennisdoddcbs with @Hassel_Chris on the dismissal of Jeremy Pruitt pic.twitter.com/x2XpAhJVRI
– CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) January 18, 2021
Still, Pruitt would apparently keep his job, almost certainly because of that acquisition and the remaining two years of his contract. He even added to his team, hiring Steele for the same position on his team.
Tennessee’s recruitment for the offensive tackle Amarius Mims is what appears to have precipitated this decision. Schlabach previously reported that the school’s internal investigation focused on “extra benefits provided to football recruits on unofficial visits”. Internal linebacker coach Brian Niedermeyer was involved in the investigation, while Vols running back Eric Gray and quarterback Brian Maurer were barred from participating in the Tennessee regular season final on December 19 because of the investigation.
Meanwhile, Mims ended up pledging to play for Georgia.
Hey @dpshow, this is how Jeremy Pruitt animates his players.
Also, if you want to leave Neyland’s stadium, just shout. pic.twitter.com/tkKzd67BsA
– Landon Raby (@ lambo_raby10) July 1, 2020
Pruitt was hired by Nick Saban’s team in Alabama, where he was the defensive coordinator. After the 2017 season, sporting director John Currie agreed with Greg Schiano, then defensive coordinator in the state of Ohio, to be the new coach of the Vols. But the fan base revolted, most openly demonstrated by Outkick’s Clay Travis, citing Schiano’s alleged involvement in Jerry Sandusky’s child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State.
Related: Tennessee ready to appoint Greg Schiano as head coach, and Vols fans are not happy about it
Former Vols head coach Philip Fulmer, who led Tennessee to the 1998 national championship, also did a power play for the position of athletic director, kicking out Currie and bringing his choice to the football coach. Fulmer quickly hired Pruitt, looking for a coach with connections in the south and the SEC and a defensive mindset that could revive the program after Butch Jones’ resignation.
But Fulmer was ultimately unsuited to the modern demands of a college sports director, who was very concerned with organization and fundraising. His previous success as a football coach could not accomplish much, especially as several SEC rivals overtook Tennessee in the conference hierarchy. Three years after his coup in the athletics department, Fulmer is stepping down, despite being on contract until 2023. His successor will hire the next football coach.
There is a room inside The Anderson Training Center that tells the story of a man who may have played 18 years in the NFL, but never left Tennessee.
The Peyton Manning Room.#VFL #PoweredByTheT pic.twitter.com/pCh9KOEUaT
– Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) June 16, 2018
While Steele, a former Tennessee student, works as an interim coach, a new coach will almost certainly take over. Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reports that the legend of the Vols, Peyton Manning, will play a big role in the selection process.
Many pointed out Hugh Freeze as a good option in Knoxville after his success at Liberty and previous SEC experience at Ole Miss. But the scandal surrounding his resignation at Oxford can still be problematic. Billy Napier of Louisiana and Jamey Chadwell of Coastal Carolina, both native to Tennessee, were mentioned. Shouldn’t Gus Malzahn, recently fired by Auburn, be considered? And former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher said he would be interested if the Vols’ work opened up.
Pruitt is the fourth SEC coach to be fired since the end of the 2020-21 season, joining Malzahn from Auburn, Will Muschamp from South Carolina and Derek Mason from Vanderbilt.