Tennessee dismisses football coach Jeremy Pruitt after internal investigation

Tennessee fired football coach Jeremy Pruitt after a weeks-long investigation into possible recruitment violations on the program, sources told ESPN on Monday.

An official announcement is expected by the end of Monday, and it was not immediately clear whether Pruitt would receive any of the more than $ 12 million he owes under his contract.

In addition, sports director Phillip Fulmer, a Hall of Fame coach, plans to retire after leading the sports department for more than three years, the sources said.

Volunteers turned to Fulmer after removing John Currie from the position of AD in December 2017. Fulmer trained Volunteers from 1992 to 2008, going to 152-52 overall and leading Tennessee to the 1998 national title. He worked as a special advisor for community relations, athletics and universities before taking over as AD.

Pruitt’s departure comes after Tennessee launched an internal investigation dating back to November over alleged recruitment improprieties, which sources told ESPN, centered in part on extra benefits provided to football recruits on unofficial visits. Pruitt, with his lawyers present, met with the investigators for several hours on Thursday. This meeting was monitored by NCAA officials via Zoom. At least one other assistant, coach of in-house linebackers Brian Niedermeyer, had a long meeting with investigators on Wednesday, also with his lawyers present and NCAA officials monitoring virtually.

The university announced last month that it had engaged the services of lawyers Michael Glazier and Kyle Skillman with the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King to assist in reviewing what the university said in a statement were “regulatory issues that have been brought to our attention. “Bond, Schoeneck & King has a Kansas City-based office dedicated to college sports that is chaired by Glazier, a former NCAA researcher who now serves as a consultant to schools facing NCAA compliance issues. Glazier and his colleagues have been on the Tennessee campus since November, interviewing assistant coaches, players and recruiting staff.

Sources told ESPN that the recruitment of Amarius Mims by Tennessee, No. 3 in the offensive attack and player No. 19 overall in the ESPN 300 ranking 2021, is part of the investigation. Mims signed with Georgia.

The Vols finished 3-7 last season and lost seven of their last eight games. All seven losses were double digits.

Last week, Tennessee hired former Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele as a defense assistant. A former Baylor coach, Steele may be a candidate for interim coach until a successor is hired. Steele played in Tennessee and started his coaching career in Tennessee, both with the late Johnny Majors.

Just before the start of the 2020 season, Tennessee announced that it had rewarded Pruitt with an extension and raise by taking on his contract until the 2025 season. Pruitt was expected to earn $ 4.2 million annually starting in 2021. Fulmer said at the time that they were close to finalizing the extension at the beginning of last year before the pandemic hit and Pruitt chose not to accept the increase in the first year of the new agreement.

According to the terms of Pruitt’s contract, he would have a debt of just over $ 12 million, or 60% of the remaining contract money, if he was dismissed without cause. If dismissed for cause, Pruitt’s contract states that “he will not be entitled to any other salary, compensation, benefits, prerequisites or any other sport-related income or benefits derived from the Coach’s position as Head Coach of Football University “.

Among the reasons why the university may dismiss Pruitt for cause, according to his contract: “Conduct or omission (s) of the coach that constitutes a Level I or Level II violation of one or more Applicable Athletic Rules; or conduct or Coach omission (s) that is likely to lead to an NCAA conclusion of a Level I or Level II violation of one or more Governing Athletic Rules; failure to report a rule violation to the athletic director or compliance team; failure to promote and maintain an atmosphere of compliance; and failure to monitor all employees who report directly and indirectly to him. “

Pruitt was scheduled to receive a $ 200,000 retention bonus on February 15.

Pruitt had 16-19 overall in Tennessee and 10-16 against SEC opponents. The Vols were 2-11 against opponents classified by the AP under Pruitt, who was in his first stint as head coach. He was previously the defensive coordinator in Alabama under Nick Saban.

The direction of the Tennessee program quickly changed under Pruitt, who led the Vols to six consecutive wins to close the 2019 season, including a victory over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Tennessee achieved eight consecutive wins, with two wins to open the 2020 season. But from that point on, the Vols’ only victory came over Vanderbilt without a win.

In particular, Tennessee fought in the defender’s position and played four different defenders who combined for 14 touchdown passes and nine interceptions last season. Vols were the last in the SEC and 119th nationally in conversions from third parties (30.2 percent). They also had their defensive problems, ranking 105th nationally in plays of 10 yards or more allowed (160).

Pruitt’s replacement will be the sixth different coach from Tennessee, returning to Fulmer, who was fired at the end of the 2008 season. Fulmer took over as Tennessee’s sports director on December 1, 2017.

Pruitt’s departure marks the fourth different technical change this season at the SEC, joining Gus Malzahn in Auburn, Derek Mason in Vanderbilt and Will Muschamp in South Carolina.