Former Tennessee Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt is back in high school football after getting hit with a six-year show cause ban earlier this summer.

The show cause stems from the recruiting scandal that took place under Pruitt at Tennessee. 

Pruitt was fired for cause, which means he didn't receive his buyout (reportedly worth more than $12 million), due to allegedly handing out around $60,000 in impermissible benefits (there were also some COVID protocols that were reportedly ignored by Tennessee while Pruitt was the head coach). 

Alabama showed interest in hiring Pruitt earlier this offseason — potentially as their defensive coordinator (Kevin Steele was eventually hired to that position). But the NCAA investigation surrounding Pruitt/Tennessee and the subsequent penalties from the NCAA made it impossible for Nick Saban to bring Pruitt back to Alabama. 

As a result, Pruitt retuned to high school football this season. Pruitt, who coached at the high school level from 1998 to 2006, joined Plainview's staff ahead of the 2023 season. 

Pruitt, who is coaching again under his father, Dale, played high school football at Plainview before playing college football at Middle Tennessee and Alabama. He also coached at Plainview in 1998 and 2000. 

The former Tennessee head coach recently spoke the Gadsden Times about joining Plainview's staff and coaching under his dad. 

"Well, it’s a pretty unique opportunity," said Pruitt. "I got to coach with him (Pruitt's father) 20 years ago and to have an opportunity to do that has been awesome. I get to work at the school where my [children] go to school. A lot of these guys who play for us, I played with their dads, or coached their dads. It's good to help give back."

"It's home to me, Rainsville is home to me, Plainview is home to me, it's been an awesome experience for my family," continued Pruitt. "My kids love it there, they're Plainview bears through and through."

"I think he's enjoyed it," added Pruitt's father. "He's been a daddy. He's going to the same place his kids are." 

I know Pruitt isn't the most popular guy in East Tennessee these days, but that's mostly because of his 16-19 record as the Vols' head coach more than anything else.  

Pruitt, unlike his predecessors at UT, had a reputation for doing right by players — even players who ended up signing with other programs. There's never been any doubt that Pruitt cares deeply about the players he's coaching/recruiting (which is a big reason why most of that $60,000 was handed out — Pruitt was helping young student athletes and their families). 

The six year show cause ban from the NCAA is complete overkill. It's comical, really. Coaches are begging for NIL donations nearly every week. Top recruits and transfer portal players are landing with the program that offers the most cash. If Pruitt would've waited a couple of years to hand out a few stacks of cash, he wouldn't be facing a show cause ban right now. 

On the flip side, while Pruitt is probably frustrated with the show cause ban and the fact that he didn't receive his eight figure buyout, he's living a life that many dream of living. Small town, football, his young kids are at the same school where he works, and he doesn't have to deal with the stress of leading an SEC football program every day (which is a 24/7/365 job).

(And he likely has much more time to spend with his family, which is something money can't buy.)

Pruitt might not have the glitz and glamour of the SEC anymore, but his quality of life is almost certainly in a much better place than it was while working at Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, or Tennessee.  

Butch Jones drops his most cringeworthy quote yet

Butch always manages to make it weird