KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Drew Richmond #51 of the Tennessee Volunteers gets yelled at by head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)Tennessee has had enough of Jeremey Pruitt, so much so the Volunteers fired him on Monday. To make matters worse, the school says it had “cause” to do so.
Pruitt’s poor coaching and teams were enough for the Volunteers to considering firing him in the first place. But it ultimately came down to the investigation of Tennessee’s improper recruiting practices with Pruitt in charge.
The Volunteers claim to have found credible cause to part ways with Pruitt, as the school announced on Monday. The former Tennessee head coach and his attorney would have to disagree.
Pruitt’s attorney, Michael Lyons, sent college football insider Brett McMurphy a strongly-worded statement following Monday’s major SEC news. In the statement, Lyons makes it clear he and his client believe Tennessee parted ways with Pruitt with “cause” to get out of the former head coach’s sizable contract and buyout.
“This afternoon, Coach Pruitt learned that Tennessee was terminating his employment for cause,” Lyons said. “He is extremely disappointed with the decision, the public announcement of which was made prior to any substantive opportunity to respond before the appropriate decision makers. We believe the decision to be the culmination of an orchestrated effort to renege on contractual promises made to Coach Pruitt upon his hiring in 2017 and reiterated less than five months ago.”
You can find Lyons’ full statement regarding Tennessee’s firing of Pruitt below.
Statement provided to @Stadium from attorney Michael Lyons representing former Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt pic.twitter.com/mAgCsaOC6S
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 19, 2021
It appears Tennessee hasn’t heard the last from Jeremy Pruitt. The odds are in the Volunteers’ favor, though.
The investigation of Tennessee’s improper recruiting practices found several assistants, under Pruitt’s watch, committed violations. As long as the investigation has credible evidence – which all reports indicate it does – Tennessee won’t have to buyout Pruitt’s contract.
This never-ending drama added a new and unwelcome twist on Monday evening. More details are to come.
