Tennessee split from third-year coach Jeremy Pruitt on Monday.
Pruitt was fired with cause.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Pruitt was fired for cause on Monday. His resignation stems from alleged NCAA violations under his supervision, according to University of Tennessee sources with knowledge of the situation, which means that the university will not pay for his acquisition.
Tennessee has since hired its new athletic director at Danny White. White began the quest to replace Pruitt as head coach.
Minnesota’s chief technician, PJ Fleck, could be an ideal candidate to clean and rebuild the Tennessee program.
Fleck also has a connection to the NCAA Division I Infringement Committee that could benefit Tennessee by presenting irregularities to the jury.
Fleck played for Joe Novak in Northern Illinois. Novak serves on the NCAA Division I Infringement Committee.
Novak discussed Tennessee’s internal investigation with Vols Wire last month.
“Schools are members of the NCAA, so if they find a violation on campus, they are required to surrender,” Novak told Vols Wire. “As this is so public, I’m sure the NCAA is aware of it. Technically, Tennessee has an obligation, after reviewing it, if it finds that there are violations, they are obliged to surrender. ”
Fleck was the keynote speaker at the 2020 American Football Coaches Association annual convention in Nashville.
The event started with Fleck discussing his career and how he left a wide receiver in Northern Illinois attending the AFCA Convention and knowing that he wanted to be a coach.
Since then, he has moved up the coaching hierarchy, becoming the head coach for the first time in Western Michigan (2013-15). There, his ability to build a program with his culture on display was at the forefront, and he has since moved on to rebuild the Minnesota program in the same capacity.
During White’s introductory press conference on Friday, he mentioned his ambition to also be a builder.
Fleck’s full speech highlighting his coaching career can be heard here or below. Novak has already joined the “Tennessee Two-A-Days” program and can be heard here or below.