Jeremy Pruitt’s Termination Letter Shows Real Reason Why Tennessee Fired Him

The Tennessee Volunteers announced today that they’ll be firing head football coach Jeremy Pruitt “for cause” after investigation into the program. At first, the reasoning for the fire was not disclosed, but Tennessee’s termination letter to Pruitt explained why they’re showing him the door. Here’s how the letter read via 247 Sports.

“This letter constitutes notice that the University of Tennessee intends to terminate the Employment Agreement (‘Agreement’) that you signed on July 24, 2018, pursuant to Section 3.2 of that Agreement (‘Termination by University for Cause’) effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

“You were hired to be the Head Football Coach and to be ‘responsible for performing duties ordinarily associated with and performed by head football coaches at a major university that participates in intercollegiate football competition at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, in compliance with Governing Athletic Rules, University Rules, and the law.’ (Section 4.1) (emphasis added).

“These duties includes ‘leading, supervising, evaluating, recruiting…the University’s football team to compete successfully in the SEC and nationally.’ (Section 4.1(a)). In addition, your duties include the ‘recruitment, hiring, supervision’ of the football team’s assistant coaches. (Section 4.1(c)). You were responsible for ‘becoming knowledgeable of and complying with all Governing Athletic Rules and University Rules.’ (Section 4.1(e)).

“More specifically, your duties include: ‘As contemplated by Governing Athletic Rules, promoting and advancing institutional control over every aspect of the football program; promoting and maintaining an atmosphere of compliance with Governing Athletic Rules and University Rules within the football program; monitoring all employees who report directly or indirectly to [you], and students on the football team under [your]. supervision, and taking other reasonable steps to ensure that such persons know and strictly comply with Governing Athletic Rules and University Rules….’ (Section 4.1(f)).”

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Jeremy Pruitt was hired bu the Vols in 2017 after one of the most frantic and incompetent head coaching searches I have ever seen in my life. At one point it was reported that Greg Schiano got the job, but the Tennessee boosters came in and squashed that one. The search ended with athletic director John Currie being relieved of his duties after multiple other gaffes throughout the process.

Pruitt went a disappointing 16-19 during his tenure at Tennessee. Whoever comes in next for the Vols is going to have a huge mess to clean up.

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