The Tennessee football program has been under investigation for potential recruiting violations and improper benefits, and head coach Jeremy Pruitt could be on his way out at the school as a result.
Tennessee announced earlier this week that the school has hired attorneys Mike Glazier and Kyle Skillman to assist with an internal investigation of the football program. The probe began as far back as November, and ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has reported that the recruitment of offensive tackle Amarius Mims is part of the investigation. Mims, one of the top players in the country for 2021, has signed with Georgia.
The Vols have not extended contracts of assistant coaches and are not making any new hires while the investigation plays out. John Brice of FootballScoop.com reported this week that Pruitt has interest in hiring assistant coaches Kevin Steele and Rodney Garner away from Auburn, but Pruitt’s own future at Tennessee is “murky” at the moment.
It’s possible the probe could result in more than a slap on the wrist. Dan Patrick reported on his show Friday morning that a source told him the Tennessee investigation is “serious.” Georgia is also said to be in hot water.
Dan says that he's heard from source that Tennessee football will face a serious investigation. He also said that Georgia could be next. "I was told Georgia got sloppy in recruiting." @dpshow
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) January 8, 2021
While it is too early to draw conclusions, the fact that Tennessee has hired attorneys to conduct an internal investigation may not bode well for Pruitt’s future with the program. If violations were committed, Tennessee could be looking for a way to fire the coach with cause.
Tennessee went 3-7 this season and is 16-19 since Pruitt took over in 2018. Athletic director Phillip Fulmer had an interesting way of showing support for Pruitt prior to the season, but a recruiting scandal could change all that.
