Jeremy Pruitt sacked as Tennessee football coach for reason following an internal inquiry.
Jeremy Pruitt has been fired as Tennessee’s football coach, marking the conclusion of one of the worst tenures in program history.
Pruitt was fired for reason on Monday after an investigation revealed repeated Level I and Level II NCAA recruiting rule infractions under his supervision, according to his termination letter acquired by Knox News. The letter identifies six fire-for-cause provisions that Pruitt violated. The university will not pay his $12.6 million buyout because he was fired for reason.
EXCLUSIVE: After removing Jeremy Pruitt, UT chancellor promises football will function ‘with integrity’.
Pruitt lasted only three seasons and left behind a program that is now under investigation.
Additionally, athletics director c will resign when UT chooses a new AD. Fulmer wants his successor to select the next football coach. Fulmer decided to step down, and his resignation is unrelated to the probe.
“Our plan is to have an athletic director in place as soon as possible,” UT Chancellor Donde Plowman said at a news conference on Monday.
On Monday, Tennessee fired assistant coaches Brian Niedermeyer and Shelton Felton for cause, as well as seven football recruiting and support staff members.
Pruitt’s $12.6 million buyout, as well as buyouts for Niedermeyer and Felton, will not be paid by the university as a result of his termination for cause. The remaining employees were at-will and not entitled to severance.
Kevin Steele will be Tennessee’s acting head coach. Last Tuesday, the Vols hired Steele, a UT alumni and former Vols coach who played two seasons under Johnny Majors, as a defensive assistant. Steele coached Baylor from 1999 to 2002 and has served as the defensive coordinator at four SEC institutions, most recently Auburn.
Pruitt’s dismissal comes as the university investigates the football program for suspicions of recruiting infractions. The university hired lawyers Mike Glazier and Kyle Skillman to help with the probe. The Kansas-based lawyers are known for their expertise in representing institutions during college athletics investigations.
Tennessee handed Pruitt a contract extension less than four months ago, which included a raise beginning this year as well as an enhanced buyout. He was under contract until January 31, 2026.
Pruitt, 46, has a 16-19 record, including a 3-7 mark in 2020 against a conference-only schedule.
W.H. Britton and Derek Dooley are the only Tennessee coaches to have a lower overall winning percentage than Pruitt since WWI. Britton went 4-5 in 1935, his only season, while Dooley went 15-21 from 2010 to 2012.
Pruitt’s contract contains over 30 fire-for-cause provisions. He may be fired for cause if he engages in conduct that is likely to result in an NCAA finding of a Level I or Level II rule violation, or if someone who reports to Pruitt engages in conduct that constitutes a Level I or II violation or is likely to result in such a violation, and the university determines Pruitt was negligent in his oversight or lacked reasonable preventative compliance measures.
He may also be fired for cause if he fails to promote and maintain a compliance-oriented environment or fails to oversee personnel who report to him.
Pruitt was a great defensive coordinator at Florida State, Georgia, and Alabama, but he struggled as a program CEO. This was his first opportunity as a head coach at any level.
Throughout Pruitt’s tenure, Tennessee’s offense was among the weakest in the SEC, and he and his staff failed to develop quarterbacks.
Pruitt went 0-9 against Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, with eight of those losses coming by more than 20 points. In October, he faced criticism for claiming that the Vols were closing the distance with Alabama after a 31-point loss.
Losses in games that Tennessee was expected to win were equally damaging.
The Vols opened the 2019 season with a 38-30 loss against Georgia State, a 26-point underdog from the Sun Belt Conference who finished 2-10 the previous season and got $950,000 to play in the game. The loss sparked a 2-5 start to the season.
Pruitt’s 2020 woes began with a 34-7 loss to Kentucky on October 17, when the Vols committed four turnovers, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Tennessee suffered its first home loss against the Wildcats since 1984.
Pruitt also lost to Vanderbilt in the 2018 finale, preventing Tennessee from qualifying for a bowl game, and he lost this season to Arkansas and its first-year coach, Sam Pittman.
Under Pruitt, the Vols had their fair share of success. They defeated rated opponents Auburn and Kentucky during his first season. Those would be his only victory over top-25 opponents throughout his tenure.
Tennessee finished the 2019 season with a 23-22 victory over Indiana in the Gator Bowl, and UT confirmed Pruitt’s contract extension two days before the season began.
“I’m excited that this extension gives Jeremy the runway to continue to build on the momentum and energy we have around our football program coming out of last season,” Fulmer stated in a news release announcing the agreement.
“He has made excellent progress in his third year and obviously understands that there is still more work to be done. This extension allows him to continue his efforts to rebuild our program to championship status, demonstrating our commitment to him, his staff, this team, and the future of the Tennessee Volunteers.”
Tennessee held the longest active winning streak in the SEC as of early October, having started the season 2-0. The Vols were ranked No. 12 nationally going into an Oct. 10 matchup at Georgia, and they led 21-17 at halftime before falling 44-21.
This sparked a six-game losing streak, matching the longest in program history.
Butch Jones is the only Tennessee coach to have lasted more than three seasons since Fulmer’s ouster. Lane Kiffin left after the 2009 season for Southern California. Dooley was sacked during his third season. Jones was sacked after his sixth season.
