Pruitt joins JSU as analyst amid NCAA show-cause

Jacksonville, Alabama – Jacksonville State University announced Monday, November 20, the hiring of former University of Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt as an analyst, a move that is pending NCAA approval. The hire comes with the significant caveat that Pruitt is currently serving a one-year show-cause penalty, which began in July 2023.

Pruitt’s show-cause penalty stems from Level I recruiting violations that occurred during his tenure as head coach at the University of Tennessee from 2018 to 2020. According to an NCAA infractions report released in July 2023, Pruitt and his wife, Casey Pruitt, were found to have provided approximately $30,000 in impermissible benefits to prospective student-athletes and their families. These benefits included cash payments, groceries, and hotel stays.

As part of his NCAA sanction, Pruitt is prohibited from engaging in any off-campus recruiting activities and is also required to complete ethics training. The show-cause order means that any NCAA member institution wishing to hire Pruitt during the penalty period (which runs through July 2024) must “show cause” why it should not be penalized for doing so. This necessitates an NCAA review and approval process for his role at Jacksonville State.

At Jacksonville State, Pruitt will work under head coach Rich Rodriguez. The Gamecocks are in a pivotal period, having recently transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and joining Conference USA for the current athletic season. Pruitt’s role as an analyst is expected to focus on responsibilities such as game planning, film breakdown, and player development, without direct involvement in recruiting.

Before joining Jacksonville State, Pruitt spent three seasons in the NFL as a senior defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons, working there from 2021 through 2023. His return to college football marks a notable step after his departure from Tennessee. Pruitt was fired by the Volunteers in January 2021 amid an internal investigation into the recruiting violations that later led to the NCAA sanctions. He had compiled a 16-19 record over three seasons in Knoxville.

Prior to his head coaching stint at Tennessee, Pruitt built a reputation as a highly regarded defensive coordinator, winning national championships with Florida State (2013) and Alabama (2016). He also served as defensive coordinator at Georgia from 2014-2015.

The hiring of a coach under a show-cause penalty, while not unprecedented, typically draws scrutiny from the NCAA and college football observers. Jacksonville State’s decision to bring Pruitt into its program underscores the ongoing rehabilitation efforts by coaches who have faced NCAA sanctions, often finding new opportunities in support staff roles before potentially returning to more prominent positions.