Tag: Pruitt

Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt runs off the field after a game between Tennessee and Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Tennessee defeated Auburn 30-24. Auburntennessee1013 1831 RANK 10

Ex-Tennessee football coach suing NCAA for $100M

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt filed a lawsuit this week against the NCAA seeking $100 million over the fallout from his firing four years ago for recruiting violations.

The lawsuit filed on Wednesday in DeKalb County, Ala., claims that the NCAA conspired with the university to make him “the sacrificial lamb for conduct that long preceded his tenure at UT.”

Tennessee hired Pruitt in December 2017, replacing Butch Jones. Pruitt was fired for cause in January 2021 after going 16-19 in three seasons and did not receive any of his $12.6 million buyout.

In July 2023, Tennessee learned that all 11 wins from the 2019 and 2020 seasons had been vacated as part of the punishment for the alleged violations during Pruitt’s tenure.

The NCAA also issued a six-year show-cause penalty and one-year suspension against Pruitt, who has not coached in college football since. He is currently helping to coach at Alabama’s Plainview High School, his alma mater.

Pruitt’s lawsuit claims that Tennessee was paying players before he was hired. He said he informed then-athletic director Phillip Fulmer of the payments and Fulmer told Pruitt “he would handle it,” per the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, Pruitt, 50, claims that he has suffered damages including lost wages, future lost wages, damage to his reputation, emotional distress and mental anguish.

Pruitt’s attorneys issued a statement to USA Today.

“We stand wholeheartedly behind Coach Pruitt’s claims as detailed in the complaint,” the statement read. “While we appreciate the public’s interest in this matter, we do not intend to try Coach Pruitt’s case in the media. Coach Pruitt’s claims deserve to be evaluated by an Alabama jury. We intend to give Jeremy the fair and impartial forum that the NCAA would not allow.”

The NCAA released a statement in response to the lawsuit.

“NCAA rules are proposed and adopted by member schools and penalties for violations are imposed by a committee of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences as well as individuals from the public who have legal training,” the statement read. “In this case, the Committee on Infractions found violations and assigned penalties, both of which were affirmed by the Infractions Appeals Committee.”

Tennessee issued a statement saying it is “confident in the actions taken in the Pruitt case. We will continue to prioritize our student-athletes and winning with integrity.”

–Field Level Media

Former Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt leaves for a lunch break during an infractions hearing with the NCAA held at the Westin Cincinnati on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. RANK 1 Kns Ncaa Pruitt Bp

Tennessee vacates 11 wins from 2019, 2020 seasons

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tennessee on Saturday learned that it had 11 wins vacated as part of the punishment for the 200-plus recruiting violations committed by former coach Jeremy Pruitt.

All 11 games won in the 2019 and 2020 seasons have been erased, wiping the Volunteers from the top 10 all-time in college football victories.

Sixteen ineligible players competed in all the vacated victories, a Tennessee spokesperson told the Knoxville News and ESPN on Saturday. The players were ineligible due to their involvement in any of the 18 Level I violations and 200 individual infractions committed during Pruitt’s short tenure.

Tennessee went 8-5 in 2019, including a bowl win, and 3-7 in 2020. The official record book will now show 0-5 and 0-7 records for those two seasons.

The vacated wins now mean Tennessee is 856-410-53 in its history, dropping from the top 10 all-time. The Vols are now No. 11 all-time.

On Friday, the football program was placed on five years’ probation and fined $8 million after the NCAA discovered more than 200 violations during Pruitt’s tenure.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions also cut 28 scholarships for the Volunteers, while Pruitt received a six-year show cause and will be suspended for the first full season if another school hires him.

Pruitt compiled a 16-19 record in three seasons in Knoxville from 2018-20. He worked as a senior defensive assistant for the New York Giants in 2021, his most recent employment in major football.

Tennessee avoided a bowl ban. The Volunteers went 11-2 last season under coach Josh Heupel and won the Orange Bowl.

The NCAA charged the program with 18 Level 1 violations in July 2022. They included charges that Pruitt and his wife, Casey, provided $60,000 in impermissible benefits and cash payments to players’ families.

Tennessee self-imposed several penalties after the violations were announced, including a 16-scholarship reduction over the past two seasons.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2019; Columbia, MO, USA; A general view of a Tennessee Volunteers helmet during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Vols avoid bowl ban, fined $8M for 200-plus violations

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Tennessee football program was placed on five years’ probation and fined $8 million on Friday after the NCAA discovered more than 200 violations during former coach Jeremy Pruitt’s tenure.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions also cut 28 scholarships for the Volunteers, while Pruitt received a six-year show cause and will be suspended for the first full season if another school hires him.

Pruitt compiled a 16-19 record in three seasons in Knoxville from 2018-20. He worked as a senior defensive assistant for the New York Giants in 2021, his most recent employment in major football.

Tennessee avoided a bowl ban. The Volunteers went 11-2 last season under coach Josh Heupel and won the Orange Bowl.

The NCAA charged the program with 18 Level 1 violations in July 2022. They included charges that Pruitt and his wife, Casey, provided $60,000 in impermissible benefits and cash payments to players’ families.

Tennessee self-imposed several penalties after the violations were announced, including a 16-scholarship reduction over the past two seasons.

The Volunteers open the season against Virginia on Sept. 2 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) passes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith: Desmond Ridder played with ‘great poise and demeanor’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Atlanta Falcons are a work in progress under the direction of second-year head coach Arthur Smith.

But after a last-second 20-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak, rookie Desmond Ridder is beginning to make an argument to be the team’s future at quarterback.

In this third career start, Ridder orchestrated a 12-play, 72-yard game-winning drive, which was capped by Younghoe Koo’s 21-yard field goal as time expired.

The win improved Atlanta’s record to 6-10 and gave Smith’s team a shot of momentum before the team hosts the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) in Sunday’s season finale.

Ridder completed 19 of 26 passes for 169 yards on the day. On the Falcons’ last drive, he was 3-for-3 for 31 yards, which included a key 14-yard completion to tight end MyCole Pruitt. Smith said Monday that he had all the belief in the world that his quarterback could execute with the game on the line.

“We could’ve gone super conservative and run it and see what happens and force them to use their timeouts,” Smith said. “But we decided to be aggressive and trust Desmond and the offensive unit. I like the way he operated. That’s three games in a row where I thought in the fourth quarter, when you needed him, he’s had great poise and demeanor so it shows the trust we have in him and the offensive unit.”

Pruitt has seen his role expand in recent weeks after being on the practice squad. The seventh-year pro had four receptions for a team-high 49 yards against the Cardinals.

“MyCole is a guy that I coached at Tennessee,” Smith said. “We picked him up in 2018 off Houston’s practice squad. … Sometimes it takes some time for those guys to find a role. It’s a tough position to play, especially depending on your scheme.

“I think he’s a really smart and instinctive player. He’s played some really meaningful snaps for us. He had a pretty bad injury last year so that was part of the reason why he didn’t sign with anybody. But he’s taken advantage of the opportunity here. Obviously, we have a lot of trust in him and clearly Desmond does too.”

–Left guard has been a revolving door for Atlanta due to injuries, but Matt Hennessy got the start there against Arizona and played well.

“It was nice to see Matt Hennessy to get in there and contribute,” Smith said. “We’ve played a lot of guys different guys at left guard. He played well in that spot and it was good to see.”

–Tyler Allgeier had 20 carries for 83 yards and a score against Arizona. He is 100 yards shy of 1,000 in his rookie campaign.

–Koo is 23 of 24 on field goal attempts inside of 50 yards. He is 6 of 10 on kicks between 50 and 59 yards.

–The Falcons released practice squad wide receiver Cameron Batson on Monday after he was arrested over the weekend. Batson has yet to be released from Fulton County jail as of Monday afternoon and faces five charges: aggravated assault, battery, aggravates assault against a law enforcement officer when engaged on official duty, removal or attempted removal of weapon from public official and driving/fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.

–Field Level Media

Dec 5, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt walks down the sideline during the first half against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Tennessee football investigation pauses hiring

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Officials at Tennessee have put hiring in the football program on hold as they investigate potential recruiting violations, ESPN reported Thursday.

The university said earlier this week that it was bringing in prominent outside attorneys Mike Glazier and Kyle Skillman to assist in the investigation about alleged rules violations, including improper benefits.

And now, Tennessee isn’t extending the contracts of assistant football coaches and isn’t hiring for vacancies on the staff of coach Jeremy Pruitt, ESPN said. Assistant coaches in limbo include inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer and running backs coach Tee Martin.

The Volunteers also need to hire an offensive line coach after the departure of Will Friend and the firing of defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh during the 2020 season.

There is growing speculation that Pruitt could be ousted by Tennessee as the investigation ramps us. The Volunteers were 3-7 in 2020, and Pruitt has a 16-19 record in three seasons.

ESPN said the investigation began in November and that one of the focuses is the recruitment of Amarius Mims, a five-star tackle in the Class of 2021 who signed with Georgia. The outlet also said that tailback Eric Gray didn’t play in the Volunteers’ season finale against Texas A&M because of the investigation.

Gray led the team with 772 rushing yards.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2019; Columbia, MO, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt leaves the field after the win over the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee coach Pruitt extended through 2025

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tennessee announced Thursday that it has extended the contract of coach Jeremy Pruitt two years through the 2025 season.

The school confirmed Pruitt received a $400,000 raise that increases his average annual salary to $4.2 million.

“He has made excellent progress entering just his third year and clearly realizes there is much work still to be done,” Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer said in a statement. “This extension secures him to continue his efforts to return our program to a championship level and shows our commitment to him, his staff, this team and the future of the Tennessee Volunteers.”

Pruitt, 46, has a 13-12 record after two seasons with the Volunteers. No. 16 Tennessee opens this season on Saturday at South Carolina.

“My family and I are grateful for the unwavering commitment the University of Tennessee has made to us,” Pruitt said in a news release. “We have worked hard to build our program the right way in a short amount of time, and there is still much work to be done. It’s a privilege to coach and mentor the outstanding young men who represent the Tennessee Volunteers. We are excited about the future and will continue to build a program Tennessee fans can be proud of.”

The Volunteers went 5-7 in Pruitt’s first season and improved to 8-5 in 2019. They completed last season with a victory over Indiana in the Gator Bowl.

Fulmer said the extension was nearly finalized earlier this year, prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

“But once the pandemic hit and we learned more and more about its potential impact on the department, Jeremy informed me that he preferred not to accept a raise for this year,” Fulmer said. “His focus quickly shifted to his players and supporting them through a period of interruption and uncertainty. His selflessness and concern for the greater good has been neat to observe through all of this.”

Before becoming coach at Tennessee, Pruitt was an assistant coach at Alabama (2010-12, 2016-17), Florida State (2013) and Georgia (2014-15). He was part of four national championship teams at Alabama (2009, 2011, 2012, 2017) and one at Florida State (2013).

Pruitt initially received a six-year, $22.8 million deal when hired in December of 2017.

–Field Level Media