Jeremy Pruitt got his day in court on Wednesday. Except what took place in Cincinnati was an NCAA hearing and not a court proceeding. Depending on how the hearing goes, Pruitt may choose legal action against the University of Tennessee. Though not recently, Jeremy has threatened a lawsuit in an effort to collect his buyout, after Tennessee fired him.
The 10-plus hour hearing on Wednesday will be followed by another session on Thursday. It could also continue into Friday.
There are two very different perspectives on what Pruitt and Tennessee want from the NCAA. They share one goal in that both want to escape further punishment. But it is unlikely the NCAA will not add additional penalties to one, and perhaps both sides.
After hiring a Knoxville legal team to investigate the original NCAA allegations, Tennessee admitted that staff members broke NCAA rules for impermissible benefits. Tennessee self-imposed penalties, primarily a loss of scholarships in 2021. Tennessee also claimed no University of Tennessee employee, above Jeremy Pruitt broke any NCAA rule.
The findings of Tennessee’s ‘internal’ investigation conveniently justified firing Pruitt for cause, thereby voiding the $12M buyout he would have collected.
Later when the NCAA formally presented 18 violations committed by the Tennessee Vols, one was a failure to monitor the football program. There are more serious charges that can be brought against a school by the NCAA, but failing to monitor is a serious one.
Tennessee’s strategy going back many months was to pin all blame on Jeremy Pruitt, three of his assistants, and members of the Tennessee football staff. Three of those individuals settled their NCAA claims, by admitting guilt and receiving show-cause penalties. The third assistant is Derrick Ansley, now the DC of the Los Angeles Chargers, and basically beyond the reach of the NCAA unless he decides to leave the NFL and return to college coaching.
Jeremy Pruitt’s Strategy
No outsider knows the argument strategy Pruitt and his lawyer will use. Perhaps, one or more of the already punished University of Tennessee employees is prepared to state Jeremy Pruitt took no part in and was unaware of the violations. Another possible Pruitt strategy would be to testify that NCAA rules-breaking was taking place in the Tennesee program before he was hired.
Alabama football fans following these events carefully will not miss that former UT AD and Head Coach, Phil Fulmer is a witness for the Vols. Whether Tennessee Football cheated before Pruitt or during Pruitt’s tenure – or both, Fulmer’s job will be to deny anyone above Pruitt knew anything or did anything wrong.
I can only guess about the collective gullibility quotient of the NCAA Hearing Committee. But as a longtime follower of Fulmer’s career, I can suggest anyone expecting to hear the truth from him, is stunningly naive. The oddity of the hearing process is that Fulmer, long believed by Alabama football fans, to be one of the SEC’s all-time cheaters, could be considered a credible witness to deny wrongdoing by one group (that includes himself), while also pointing a finger of guilt at Jeremy Pruitt.
For those interested in more on the old Phil Fulmer vs. Alabama Football saga, click here.
There is no telling how this mess will end. How the NCAA functions or doesn’t function is too unpredictable.