Jeremy Pruitt came to Tennessee after a messy and meandering coaching search that put the national spotlight on Rocky Top for all the wrong reasons. He's leaving Tennessee under similarly unusual and unflattering circumstances.
Tennessee fired Pruitt on Monday following an internal investigation into potential recruiting violations in the program.
Pruitt went 16-19 in three seasons with the Vols, including a 10-16 mark in SEC play. He led Tennessee on a late-season surge in 2019 that culminated with a Gator Bowl win over Indiana, but the team backslid considerably this past fall, suffering seven double-digit losses and finishing 108th nationally in scoring (21.5 ppg) and 102nd in yards per game (346.2 ypg). Aside from the recruiting issues, which aren't uncommon at Power 5 programs, Pruitt seemed in over his head as a head coach and better suited as an SEC defensive coordinator.
Tennessee is now back in the coaching market for the fifth time since 2008, when Phillip Fulmer reluctantly stepped down as coach. Fulmer, who took over as athletic director during the previous coaching search, is on his way out, too. His management of the program, including awarding Pruitt a completely unnecessary contract extension in September, shows change is needed.
Tennessee's administrative flux during the years, both with athletics and the university, undoubtedly has contributed to the decline in football performance. Who makes this hire, how it's made and what penalties loom make the situation more complicated.
The school has tradition, a large and passionate fan base, strong facilities and other attributes, but it must make a smart and qualified coaching hire to begin gaining on Georgia and Florida in the SEC East. Here's a look at potential candidates on Rocky Top.
Louisiana coach Billy Napier: Maybe this is the SEC job Napier is waiting for, or perhaps we'll just get another fancy tweet about him reaffirming his commitment to Louisiana for the 2021 season. After rebuffing Auburn and South Carolina, Napier seems in no rush to leave Lafayette. But Tennessee should gauge interest from the 41-year-old, who is 28-11 at Louisiana (21-4 the past two seasons). Napier was born in Tennessee, grew up in Georgia, played college football and started his coaching career in South Carolina and spent five years with Nick Saban at Alabama. His regional ties and roots on the offensive side of the ball make him a natural fit.
Former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn: Tennessee's last three coaching hires lacked experience leading SEC programs, and none had been a Power 5 head coach before coming to Knoxville, In Malzahn, Tennessee would get a coach with an SEC title, two West Division titles, three top-15 finishes and three victories over Saban's Alabama teams. Malzahn, 55, somewhat surprisingly was fired in December with four years and $21.45 million left on a $49 million deal. He's not done coaching and could be a relative bargain for Tennessee. There is concern about whether Malzahn's offense ran its course in the SEC, and about his willingness to modernize, especially at quarterback.
Tennessee defensive assistant Kevin Steele: Tennessee added Steele to the staff last week, setting off speculation that he could be an option if the school had to cut ties with Pruitt. Steele played linebacker at Tennessee, started his coaching career at his alma mater and returned for two seasons under Johnny Majors in 1987 and 1988. He spent the past five seasons as Auburn's defensive coordinator and briefly emerged as a candidate to replace Gus Malzahn last month. Steele, 62, is deeply rooted in the SEC and was a candidate to get the Tennessee job the last time it opened. His only head-coaching stint didn't go well (9-36 at Baylor) and he's an older coach, but he could be a stabilizing bridge for his alma mater.
Liberty coach Hugh Freeze: He's clearly the fan favorite to succeed Pruitt. He's also seemingly what Tennessee needs: a proven SEC coach and offensive playcaller with a history of producing talented quarterbacks and dynamic passing attacks. Freeze, 51, has two wins over Nick Saban while at Ole Miss, which reached the Peach Bowl and Sugar Bowl in his final two seasons as coach. The concern is whether Tennessee can fire Pruitt over recruiting issues and hire Freeze, given the NCAA violations and other issues that led to his departure from Ole Miss. At some point, Freeze will return to the SEC, but there appears to be some hesitancy around him right now, especially from the league office. He might have to wait another year or two, and for a job not under the same scrutiny Tennessee is facing.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone: Marrone's name has been mentioned in the past for Tennessee, where he coached tight ends and offensive tackles under Fulmer in 2001. He brings both college and NFL head-coaching experience, including two eight-win seasons at Syracuse and an AFC Championship Game appearance with Jacksonville in 2017. Marrone, 56, is a New York native, but other than Syracuse, most of his college experience has been in the Southeast at Georgia Tech, Georgia and Tennessee. His background is on offense, and he spent three years as Sean Payton's first offensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints.
Former Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien: He's about to join Alabama as offensive coordinator, the ultimate springboard to lead a team again. But he might not have to wait. O'Brien, 51, knows what it's like to take over a college program facing major obstacles, as he stepped in at Penn State as a first-time head coach amid the biggest scandal in the sport's history. He incredibly went 15-9 in State College before moving onto the Texans, where he reached the playoffs in four of his first six seasons. O'Brien hasn't coached in the SEC but has experience in the Big Ten, as well as in the ACC as an assistant at Duke and Georgia Tech. His background on offense and with quarterbacks could help revive Tennessee in those areas.
West Virginia coach Neal Brown: Tennessee truly needs a stabilizing presence to lead the program and boost the offense, while being able to navigate the SEC waters. Brown checks a lot of boxes here even though he hasn't coached in the league since 2014, when he completed a two-year stretch as Kentucky's offensive coordinator. The 40-year-old went 35-16 at Troy with three 10-win seasons and a victory over LSU in 2017. He's only 11-11 at West Virginia, which struggled offensively this past season, but Year 3 projects to be a big one in Morgantown. Brown likely wants to see things through at WVU but could be a good option for Tennessee, too.
Former Texas coach Tom Herman: Herman ultimately couldn't deliver Texas the championships or elite offenses that it craved, but he's still a very capable head coach. He's 32-18 in six years as an FBS coach, with four Top-25 finishes, two top-10 finishes, no losing seasons and a 5-0 mark in bowl games. The 45-year-old would bring a clear vision on offense to a program that needs a major jolt. He also wouldn't have to change his wardrobe too much if moving from Austin to Knoxville.
Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott: Power 5 schools rarely make back-to-back hires of coordinators without prior head-coaching experience. But Elliott isn't a typical hotshot coordinator. He's more than ready to lead his own program and brings the expertise on offense and with quarterbacks that Tennessee sorely needs. Since Clemson elevated Elliott as its primary offensive playcaller, it has made six straight CFP appearances, won two national titles and appeared in four national title games. Elliott, 41, has been very picky about pursuing jobs and might not want to take on Tennessee's baggage.
Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell: He was born in Caryville, Tennessee, played his college ball at East Tennessee State and started his coaching career there. Few FBS coaches improved their stock more in 2020 than Chadwell, who guided Coastal Carolina to an 11-0 regular season and a No. 12 ranking in the final CFP poll. He has been a head coach at four college programs, has winning records at three and deserves a ton of credit for Coastal's rapid rise. But the lack of any Power 5 experience makes Chadwell a tough hire for Tennessee to make with the program in such a difficult position.
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell: I initially hesitated to include Fickell, who has an excellent situation at Cincinnati and seemingly could hold out for better jobs closer to his native Ohio -- Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State or even Ohio State if Ryan Day moves to the NFL in the next few years. But several industry sources said Fickell might at least listen to Tennessee, which offers excellent resources and the chance to compete in the SEC. Fickell likely will have another excellent team at Cincinnati, but he's already 47 and his stock might never be higher after the Bearcats finished No. 8 in the final rankings. He could see this as a good chance to start his Power 5 career.
Recommendation: Billy Napier
Napier is holding out for a very good (if not ideal) situation in the Power 5, and Tennessee might not fulfill his vision right now. He would need some assurances from the administration about alignment and support, especially if NCAA penalties are coming. But Napier knows the region very well, and he's a coach on the rise who brings expertise on offense, Tennessee's biggest on-field weakness. Freeze might be the best choice, but the timing and circumstances aren't right. Malzahn, O'Brien, Brown and others could be good options, too, but Tennessee should make a strong push to get Napier to Rocky Top.