Former Vols coaches punished for recruiting violations
Four former Tennessee Vols assistants under Jeremy Pruitt have been punished for their role in the recruiting violations that led to Pruitt’s firing
Four former Tennessee Vols assistant coaches who were part of Jeremy Pruitt's staff in 2020 have been penalized for their role in the recruiting violations that cost them and Pruitt their jobs.
Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported on Tuesday that inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer, outside linebackers coach Shelton Felton, director of player personnel Drew Hughes and student assistant Michael Magness are expected to receive show-cause penalties of three-to-five years.
According to Dellenger, the resolutions were negotiated.
The NCAA has still not ruled on any potential punishment for Tennessee, Pruitt, or former defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley.
It's completely unclear at this point what kind of punishment Tennessee will receive. The school was as helpful as possible to the NCAA during the investigation with the hope that they would escape major penalties. But you never know when it comes to the NCAA. I'm sure UT isn't trusting that they'll hold up their end of the bargain.
As for Pruitt and Ansley, I'd expect their penalties to be more severe than the four assistants who were penalized on Tuesday. That doesn't bode well for Pruitt's chances of returning to the college game anytime soon. This means we might see Pruitt try to catch on with an NFL team again (he coached with the New York Giants in 2021).
Ansley, meanwhile, was recently named the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator. It's certainly possible that Pruitt could join him as a defensive assistant in Los Angeles.
Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
