Tennessee officials have not extended the contracts of assistant football coaches and have stopped hiring coaches for vacancies as volunteers continue to investigate whether recruitment violations occurred within the program, sources told ESPN on Thursday .
Earlier this week, the university announced it had hired attorneys Mike Glazier and Kyle Skillman to help its in-house attorneys and compliance officials in the internal investigation. Lawyers have been interviewing current players this week about alleged misappropriation and other violations of the rules, sources told ESPN.
“We are taking our institutional commitment to NCAA compliance seriously and are reviewing the regulatory issues that have come to our attention,” university spokeswoman Tyra Haag said this week. “As part of this process, we are currently working with attorneys Kyle Skillman and Michael Glazier with Bond, Schoeneck and King. We will provide additional information when appropriate.”
Last month, ESPN reported that compliance department officials had interviewed current players, recruits, assistant coaches, student volunteers and other athletics department officials involved in hiring football. Sources said the interviews began in November.
Sources told ESPN that the hiring of Amarius Mims from Tennessee, the No. 3 offensive offense and the No. 19 player overall in the 2021 ESPN 300, is part of the department’s investigation. Mims signed with Georgia.
Second-year greaser Eric Gray, the team’s top runner with 772 yards and four touchdowns, was also held outside the end of the regular season against Texas A&M for undisclosed reasons. Sources told ESPN that Gray’s absence was related to the compliance investigation.
While Tennessee officials are waiting for the investigation to be completed, the athletics department has not renewed or extended the contracts of assistant coaches, some of whom have offers that expire later this month, including the runners’ coach. Tee Martin and the home defenders coach. Brian Niedermeyer.
Volunteers also have at least two vacancies after head coach Jeremy Pruitt fired defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh after four games and offensive coach Will Friend left for South Carolina last month.
Pruitt, 46, holds a 16-19 record with volunteers for three seasons. The Volunteers went 3-7 this season, losing seven of their last eight games.
After targeting volunteers toward an 8-5 record in 2019, Pruitt was rewarded with a two-year contract extension that increased his annual salary to $ 4.2 million. The contract expands during the 2025 season. If Tennessee fired Pruitt without cause, he would have to pay him about $ 12.8 million, or 60% of the remaining money due to the deal.
Pruitt is expected to receive a $ 200,000 retention bonus on Feb. 15.
Under the terms of Pruitt’s contract, if the university fires him for reasons, “he will not be entitled to any salary, compensation, benefits, prerequisites or any other income related to athletics or benefits derived from the coach’s position. as head coach of the University “.
A handful of Tennessee’s best players have dropped out of the program or announced plans to leave in recent weeks, including junior cornerback Bryce Thompson (eight career interceptions), who entered the NFL draft earlier this week. Runner Ty Chandler and tight end Austin Pope are one of eight players who have entered the transfer portal since December. Quarterback JT Shrout moved to Colorado, and defensive star Deandre Johnson moved to Miami.