Tennessee avoids bowl ban, ex-coach hit with significant penalty after NCAA finds ‘hundreds of violations’

The NCAA got here down exhausting on former Tennessee Volunteers soccer coach Jeremy Pruitt on Friday after discovering greater than 200 particular person infractions dedicated by the varsity throughout his three-year run as head coach.

The choice by the Division I Committee on Infractions comes after Tennessee was despatched a discover of allegations final July detailing 18 Degree I guidelines violations towards the football program below Pruitt and his workers.

Pruitt was fired in January 2021 after three seasons following an inner investigation by the college.

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The committee mentioned the previous head coach had “failed to observe his workers when not less than a dozen members of the soccer workers dedicated greater than 200 violations of NCAA rules over a two-year interval and didn’t self-report any of these violations.”

Pruitt was given a six-year show-cause penalty, that means he could be suspended for a full season if one other NCAA faculty have been to rent him.

“Through the head coach’s tenure, he and different members of his workers acted with basic and blatant disregard for guidelines compliance,” the panel mentioned.

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Tennessee Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt walks to the sideline in the course of the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl recreation between the Indiana College Hoosiers and the Tennessee Volunteers on January 2, 2020, at TIAA Financial institution Discipline in Jacksonville, FL. (Photograph by Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)

Tennessee prevented a postseason ban within the resolution however shall be positioned on probation for 5 years, assessed a nice of $8 million and could have their soccer scholarships diminished by 28 in the course of the five-year probation.

The panel acknowledged the violations “resulted in impermissible inducements and advantages totaling roughly $60,000.”

Three different former workers members have been additionally given show-cause penalties.

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College of Tennessee Volunteers coach Jeremy Pruitt on the sideline in the course of the 2019 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl school soccer recreation between the Indiana College Hoosiers and the College of Tennessee Volunteers on January 2, 2020, at TIAA Financial institution Discipline in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photograph by Aaron Gilbert/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)

Many of the violations got here from a “paid unofficial go to scheme” that was utilized by the soccer program over a two-year interval.

It concerned not less than a dozen members of the soccer workers and included not less than “110 impermissible lodge room nights, 180 impermissible meals, 72 cases of offering impermissible leisure or different advantages, 41 impermissible recruiting contacts, 37 cases of offering impermissible recreation day parking, and 14 occasions through which gear was impermissibly offered to prospects.”

Two prospects additionally acquired money funds from the previous head coach and/or his spouse, according to the report.

The Volunteers are coming off an 11-2 season below head coach Josh Huepelthe primary season with double-digit wins since 2007.