An interesting account of how Tennessee dismissed Jeremy Pruitt is shared by a college football insider
Trey Wallace of Outkick.com, who originally revealed the details of the Pruitt recruitment controversy back in December 2020, was on the Saturday Down South Podcast earlier this week. During his appearance, he offered a few anecdotes regarding the conclusion of Pruitt’s employment.
Wallace related a story of how Pruitt learned he was being fired. Furthermore, it wasn’t the proper method for him to learn the news.
“The day that Jeremy Pruitt was fired from Tennessee, (Chancellor) Donde Plowman had called for Jeremy to come into the office with (then athletic director) Phillip (Fulmer),” said Wallace. “Donde Plowman is sitting there in the office, saying to Jeremy, ‘Jeremy, you know, these are a lot of violations.'” I’m not sure how we can avoid this. “I didn’t do anything here,” is how Jeremy is arguing his case. This isn’t me doing it. These are my helpers. I was unaware that this was occurring. And Jeremy asked Phillip and Donde directly, “Am I getting fired?”
In Wallace’s version of events, Pruitt was informed unequivocally that day that he would not be dismissed. And just as Pruitt was leaving, a member of the local media texted him to let him know that he was actually getting fired.
“Jeremy Pruitt departed the fifteen-minute meeting and went out the door. Shortly after, he received a text message from a Knoxville-based local media personality informing him that he was being dismissed today.
And that really started a series of events that led us to our current situation,” Wallace said. “And it’s among the wilder things because, I believe, Jeremy felt the impending disaster. However, the simple fact that he was informed, “Man, you’re good, no, we’re going to figure it out, like, you’re not getting fired right now,” was telling.
Subsequently, he finds out that he has been sacked from a local media personality in the Knoxville region on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which was the day he was fired. You really can’t make this stuff up, really.”
It was undoubtedly an odd way to wrap out one of Tennessee football’s less successful periods. Fortunately for the Vols, though, Heupel was hired after the catastrophic Pruitt period ended, and he has quickly shown himself to be a wonderful match for the team.