Jeremy Pruitt has been on the hot seat for weeks amid an investigation into the Tennessee football program, and the head coach is officially out.
Tennessee fired Pruitt on Monday, according to multiple reports. Sources told Blake Toppmeyer of the Knoxville News Sentinel that Pruitt has been fired for cause, meaning he will not be entitled to a buyout.
Phillip Fulmer is also stepping down as athletic director at Tennessee, though the decision is reportedly not related to the investigation.
Tennessee is conducting an internal investigation into its football program over alleged recruiting violations. The probe began as far back as November, and ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported that the recruitment of offensive tackle Amarius Mims is part of the investigation. Mims, one of the top players in the country for 2021, signed with Georgia.
There has been talk that the investigation is serious in nature, and Pruitt’s dismissal seemingly confirms that.
Pruitt, 46, went 16-19 in three seasons at Tennessee. The school initially intended to keep him, as evidenced by the contract extension he signed four months ago. The investigation obviously changed things.
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