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Former Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt has been in scandal in recent years. First, he got fired, and now, he has received a show-cause penalty. 

Pruitt, with nine other coaches and the staff, was fired from Tennessee on January 18, 2021, because of recruiting violations.

Jeremy Pruitt, born on May 28, 1974, is a football coach who has recently served as a senior defensive assistant for the National Football League’s (NFL) New York Giants.

Previously, Pruitt was employed by the University of Tennessee as a head coach from 2018 until 2020.

Likewise, the coach has served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia, and Florida State University.

When Pruitt was the defensive coordinator, his teams’ total defense and other related categories routinely placed in the top 10 nationally.

Moreover, as an assistant coach at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama, in 2006, Jeremy made an appearance on the television series Two-A-Days.

Why Was Jeremy Pruitt Fired?

Tennessee announced on January 18, 2021, that head coach Jeremy Pruitt had been fired.

Tennessee discovered evidence that Pruitt and his staff members participated in an activity that resulted in serious NCAA rule violations.

A lawyer for Pruitt offered UT an ultimatum in October.

Either make a settlement with Pruitt by October 29 or face a lawsuit that may “cripple UT’s athletic programs for years.” 

Tennessee’s authority said that if Pruitt decides to take the case to court, they will also take a “vigorous defense” and will not back down.

“Our university has done everything it possibly can to work with the NCAA to clean up the mess he left behind and bring this to closure.” Rick Barnes said. 

Jeremy Pruitt Net worth

Jeremy Pruitt is one of the 30 highest-paid college football coaches and is speculated to have a net worth of $5 million. 

As a head coach, Pruitt earned $3,846,000 per year. Jeremy and Tennessee signed a six-year, $22.8 million contract.

It was effective from December 7, 2017, through January 21, 2024.

It appears that he will receive the same $3.8 million in compensation in 2023 because the contract lacks an escalation term.

After an internal inquiry showed that the coach had broken recruiting laws,
After that, he was fired from his position and also didn’t receive his $12.8 million buyout money.

Additionally, before the season started, Jeremy signed a new contract with Tennessee that was valid until 2025. Moreover, Pruitt’s pay was expected to increase to $4.2 million as of 2021.

Jeremy Pruitt Received A Show-cause Penalty

The authority found that he was in charge when the Vols committed more than 200 violations over a two-year span.

So, the NCAA penalized Jeremy Pruitt on July 14, 2023, by giving the former Tennessee coach a 6-year show-cause period.

The show-cause punishment implies that if an NCAA member school hires the coach in an athletic-related role before July 13, 2029.

The coach will be prohibited from all team activities for the duration of his first season.

“During the head coach’s tenure, he and other members of his staff acted with general and blatant disregard for rule compliance,” the NCAA panel said.

The NCAA also discovered that there were $60,000 in illegal inducements and benefits when Pruitt was in charge.

Moreover, Jeremy and his wife directly paid two players who eventually enrolled at Tennessee.

Although they were ineligible, the two players competed in 25 and 23 games, respectively, including the Gator Bowl. Eventually, at some point, all of those games will be removed.

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