New report sheds light on what Jeremy Pruitt is saying to the NCAA as Tennessee awaits punishment
On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported that four former Tennessee Vols assistants under Jeremy Pruitt have received show-cause penalties from the NCAA. The penalties are in response to the recruiting violations that took place under Pruitt when he was the head coach at Tennessee. From SI.com: Four former Tennessee staff members are expected to […]
On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported that four former Tennessee Vols assistants under Jeremy Pruitt have received show-cause penalties from the NCAA.
The penalties are in response to the recruiting violations that took place under Pruitt when he was the head coach at Tennessee.
From SI.com:
Four former Tennessee staff members are expected to receive multiyear show-cause penalties from the NCAA stemming from their roles in recruiting violations committed under former coach Jeremy Pruitt, sources tell Sports Illustrated.
Inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer, outside linebackers coach Shelton Felton, director of player personnel Drew Hughes and student assistant Michael Magness are set to receive show-cause penalties of three-to-five years in negotiated resolutions they struck with the association.
The NCAA has not yet handed down any penalties to Pruitt, former Vols defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley, or Tennessee.
It's unclear when those penalties will be announced. The penalties that were handed down on Tuesday were negotiated by the coaches that were penalized.
According to Football Scoop, part of the reason why Pruitt hasn't been penalized yet is because he's not agreeing to any negotiated punishment.
Instead, Pruitt is maintaining that he had no direct knowledge of the violations.
Sources have told FootballScoop that both Pruitt and UT have not agreed to any, or all, penalties, respectively.
Per sources, Pruitt — who worked under famed Alabama coach Nick Saban, as well as Jimbo Fisher — has contended that he did not have direct knowledge of the recruiting infractions that indeed the NCAA proved unfolded directly in his program and which numbered nearly 20 charged misdeeds by the NCAA in its investigation into the Vols.
Pruitt's wife, Casey, was named in the report. Pruitt, however, is still denying knowledge of the violations.
I can't say that I blame him — cooperating with the NCAA usually doesn't lead to lesser penalties. So he might as well plead ignorance and hope for the best.
Though unfortunately for Pruitt, pleading ignorance doesn't usually work either.
As Football Scoop noted, the NCAA doesn't view ignorance as a "sufficient argument" in these types of cases.
So essentially, Pruitt is hoping for the best but harsh punishments are still very likely for the former Tennessee head coach.
Featured image via Matt Pendleton via Imagn Content Services, LLC
