Jeremy Pruitt fired by Tennessee; Phillip Fulmer to retire

Once again, the Tennessee Volunteers are looking for a new head football coach. However, this time, they will also be on the hunt for a new athletics director as well.

On Monday, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Tennessee has fired Jeremy Pruitt for cause which means they will not be paying his buyout. On top of that, athletics director Phillip Fulmer will also be stepping down.

Tennessee is in the process of an investigation into the football program over the recruitments of Amarius Mims and Eric Gray, who allegedly received improper benefits.

Mims would go on to sign with the Georgia Bulldogs, and Gray was the Vols’ leading rusher in 2020 but was held out of the Texas A&M game due to his connection with the ongoing investigation.

The News Sentinel also reported that Fulmer’s decision to retire is not tied to the investigation, and he wants his successor to be the one to choose the next football coach.

The Pruitt era at Tennessee has come to an end which means it will be fun for all of us to watch the newest coaching search unfold after the last one was so drama filled.

Also, this is the third time Tennessee has fired a head coach within a year of losing to Kentucky since 2012. Derek Dooley started it off when he lost to Kentucky late in the 2011 season and was fired before the 2012 season ended. Butch Jones was fired after losing to Kentucky in 2017.

And of course, Pruitt is being fired after getting annihilated at home by Kentucky this past season.

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