Randy Sartin / Associated Press
The University of Tennessee reportedly suspended all contract discussions with current staff and stopped hiring for the Volunteers football program pending the results of an investigation into possible recruitment violations, including the alleged use of improper benefits.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported on Thursday that investigative team members conducted interviews with UT players throughout the week.
“We take our institutional commitment to NCAA compliance seriously and are reviewing the regulatory issues that have come to our attention,” University spokeswoman Tyra Haag said in a statement. “As part of this process, we are currently working with lawyers Kyle Skillman and Michael Glazier with Bond, Schoeneck & King. We will provide additional information when appropriate.”
Issues in focus during the investigation included the prospective 2021 recruitment of Amarius Mims, who finally signed with Georgia, and a compliance investigation with sophomore runner Eric Gray, who was detained at the end of the Volleyball season against Texas A&M, for Schlabach.
“I hadn’t seen any articles or anything like that,” said coach Jeremy Pruitt after the defeat to the Aggies, when asked if he knew of an investigation. “In any era of college football or college athletics, you have typical compliance things. That’s all I know.”
The Volunteers’ technical committee has two vacancies to fill (defensive and offensive line coaches) and at least two more coaches are expected to see their contracts expire at the end of January: running back coach Tee Martin and lineback coach Brian Niedermeyer, from according to Schlabach.
Tennessee signed Pruitt with a two-year contract contract extension in September until the 2025 season. He ranked 30th among the top college football coaches, with $ 3.85 million in full payment for the 2020 campaign, for USA today.
The Vols opened 2020 with wins over South Carolina and Missouri, but they won just one of the last eight matches to end with a 3-7 record.
Pruitt posted a 16-19 mark over three years at UT with a bowl appearance, a Gator Bowl triumph over Indiana to end the 2019 season. Volunteers were scheduled to play at this season’s Liberty Bowl, but it was canceled due to concerns of COVID-19.
Schlabach noted that at least five players left the program to enter the NFL draft or via the transfer portal in the past few weeks amid the investigation.